Nov 25 2009
Repetition defines perseverance
The new feminist videos at the Brooklyn Museum represents how much women have strived to achieve their goals. The repetitive nature of these videos shows a sense of perseverance that is a fundamental element in helping them achieve their end goals. Feminist artists used these videos as a way to explore issues related to their own gender. The simplistic method they used to capture themselves in front of a camera gives these videos a personal feel to them. The videos presented at the “Reflections on the Electric Mirror: New Feminist Video” exhibition show varied approaches to conveying their personal messages. Their huffing and puffing to put boxes onto shelves shows their desire to finish a task, the nonchalant manner in which the woman who was demolishing her bicycle shows aggression and rebellion. The ladies performing the interviews with the ridiculous looking sponge-like apparatus shows a comical side to females. These thematic elements that are inherent in each of these videos is their opportunity to embrace the media through the repetition of self-imposed tasks; and rebelliousness—by doing so, they are lashing out at society as well as discovering themselves in the process.
I think some were confusing to understand. The best ones, I found, were the ones that were just plain funny because women like to laugh and they are always shown fighting for their rights of equality in such an aggressive manner. Sometimes women just have to laugh and express their inner randomness.