recovering misogynist
sarah maple
interview with i.t.a.
sarah i’d like to thank you immensely for talking to us at powder. we’re such big fans of your work; we adore the humour and we love the underlying meaning. so welcome to powder.
of late you’ve been campaigning against the page three girl that is a prominent part of british newspapers. could you explain a little to us about the page three girl and why you are advocating for her to disappear?
It's a very odd thing that came about in the sixties that is now seen almost like a British institution! We have a very popular trashy newspaper called The Sun which is the widest read newspaper in the country. On page 3 there is a naked woman with her breasts out. She has been there every day for over 40 years. On occasion if a major news event happens, like the London bombings for example, they won't have it as a 'mark of respect', which actually shows that they know this is a disrespectful thing to have in their paper.
Anyway for years people have objected but are always shouted down and because it's because such a 'normal' thing, most people don't even question it. I'm not against naked women, but I am against naked women being used in this context, normalising objectification, we are meant to be better than this now, we're meant to be in 'post feminist' era but clearly not. There are many campaigns going on now and I really hope it is only a matter of time before they remove it. I think it would be a real recognition of equality.
of late feminism has been given a bad rap by people who see it as a negative term and do not want to be associated with it. how do you respond to such sentiments?
It really grates on me, people take it almost like an insult. I said to a guy he was a feminist and he went 'Fuck off I'm not!'. So I try to sell it to people in a different way, it's not about man-hating or any of that crap (well for me anyway!). It's simply about equality. For some people they are not interested in equality but more people seem to engage in it if you explain it's not about women being better than men, it's about us being equal. More and more men now accept that this is the case.
what would you say are the major issues feminists are facing today?
Porn on the internet which shows ever increasing acceptance of violence against women. Rape, abuse, racism, equal maternity/paternity leave... the list goes on! There are so many issues!
which feminist writers and activists influence you? what feminist writings would you recommend to a reader just starting out?
Some feminist writing is so in depth that I can't really get into it and abandon after a few pages! I found The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf a bit like that but I should try again! But some books I thought were great and very good for starting out were Living Dolls by Natasha Walter, Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy and The Equality Illusion by Kat Banyard.
have you always created or did something happen that spurred you on? what led you to become an artist?
Initially I just liked drawing, painting and writing. After a while I realised I was quite good at it. I started studying art and realised, as cheesy as it sounds, art gave me a voice. I realised I could get across the things I wanted to express through this media. It's the most exciting thing in the world to me. I love making art that touches people or makes them think about something in a new light.
uou grew up in southern england with an iranian muslim mother and english christian father. has this given you a different perspective and how has this shaped your artwork?
I think ultimately this influences what I make and how I make it definitely. I can't put my finger on how but I know if I hadn't been brought up with these influences I wouldn't be making art.
where do you find your inspiration to begin an artwork or project? after that what process do you undertake?
I do a lot of reading and research. I am currently in that stage now for the next body of work. It takes a very long time. I don't want to rush it and just make anything, for me it's important that everything has an idea or concept. Maybe that can be a hindrance sometimes if I over think it. But for me art is all about a message and communicating something.
which artists from the past have influenced you and who do you follow on the scene today?
My favourite artists at the moment are mainly performance and video artists like Gillian Wearing and Phil Collins. I like how touching their work is and how it says something really relevant for people. Frida Kahlo will always be a huge influence and I love the 'balls' of Sarah Lucas. I saw her recent retrospective at Whitechapel Gallery and it reminded me I must not lose this attitude! I am mainly drawn to female artists... I admire them because I know how hard it is to be a woman in the art world.
since your first exhibition this artist blows at the salon gallery in notting hill your work has been controversial and at times has been labelled sensationalist. what is it about you and your work that attracts such attention and descriptions?
In my work I am not at all afraid to do and say what I think. I take risks, I like to be bold and funny, I want to grab people's attention. But it's not just about that, that is why I take so much time to research. My work grabs attention but it has soul, meaning and a concept behind each piece. If it was just sensational with none of that thought and care, it would have no real point or longevity. I do not see the point in that.
I think in daily life I feel powerless but in my art I don't. I feel like I can be loud and sensationalist and attention grabbing, it's the exact opposite of what I am as a person!
and lastly sarah, what projects are you working on now and what will you be working on as we move into twenty fourteen?
I have two new shows coming up, one in Belfast at Gold Thread Gallery and one at KochxBos in Amsterdam. Both these shows are a mixture of old and new work. I am currently working on a body of new work I hope to unveil in 2015.
sarah maple once again thanks so much for chatting with powder. it is truly inspiring and very refreshing to speak with someone with such a passionate and worthwhile message.
check it the sarah maple site
