I'd mainly been working on my project proposal but also starting my artist research and gettings ideas for the visual components. In all this I happened to look at Nicola Tyson in a bit more depth than simply the letter I'd read addressed to Francis Bacon. I knew she wrote other letters to dead male artists such as picasso, but thats all I knew. Turns out her letters are a book titled 'Dead Letter Men' and I'd thought of titling my project 'Dead Letter Office'. Plus googling the book it looks like she has provided a visual component also. Its not really a concern as this project feels like what I should be doing at this time and its quite personal.
I was given another artist to look at. Archie Barry. We agreed my letter to Prince was too long and needed editing. We chatted about the visual components and ideas and it was suggested I set up a little wall or spot in my unit for each artists to gather things / play with ideas etc.
I was also told to look at the SCUM Manefesto and Andy Warhol (in reference to electric chair and Jackie O).
Although it tickles me pink when this project is described on par with Warhol....an obsession with celebrity, I am going to clarify the history of my careers and how this project involves MY community of practice, whether it is as an audio engineer, an architect, a stencil artist or photographer. This is MY workplace that I am talking about. I was already tired years ago of being labelled a groupie just because the males I met, worked, lived with (and therefore, sometimes ended up dating or having long term relationships with) are musicians. And the suggestion this is about celebrity rather than my community of practice kind of is the point of this project. Would a male, who got into audio engineering because he loved music, so, obviously, goes to see music for leisure and makes friends with like minded people and works with musicians, be labelled a groupie (somebody that kind of is obsessed with celebrity and kind of fucks musos BECAUSE they are musos and has no connection with the music, per se) if he ended up in relationships with them?
It is NOT an obsession with celebrity, it is NOT from a 'feminist' perspective. This project is borne from a HUMAN perspective that happens to have worked in these industries and happens to be female. One might say, the female gaze. And I am done with men getting away with using their power to abuse and hurt (mainly) women they employ, work with or are otherwise just in contact through their work.