Xiyue Wang

Artist Talk Response

Nov 12 2014

 

What kind of feminist is Heather McGill?

 

As Sharon Hayes said in Sculpture X,“ Being an artist now, you cannot avoid being about politics”. I always think that, being a female artist now, you are inevitably a feminist. Wandering in Canzani Center Gallery, I was fascinated by Heather McGill’s automotive and industrial aesthetics in the sculptures. But during Heather McGill’s talk, my questions arose when she was speaking of feminism. “I am of course a feminist,” she said. But in my point of view, a “feminist” such as Heather McGill, is very different from 1970s feminist like Hannah Wilke, Babara Kruger, or even those who do mostly sculpture works like Eva Hesse and Lynda Benglis. To me, the closest connection I made to Heather McGill’s work is Claes Oldenburg, Donald Judd, or even James Turrell – all male artists. That makes me wonder, what kind of feminism does Heather McGill represent?

 

In my first impression, I found Heather McGill’s way of speaking to be structured and rational, which differentiates her from some other female artists who are slightly more emotional and spontaneous. There is a masculine aura around her. And same masculine rational and precise spirit appears in her work. That leads me to question whether she is truly feminist and how she speaks about “feminism” in her work?

 

First, I found the material she uses contributed a lot to this “masculine power”. Looking at the history of feminist art, it can be almost classified by materials. Feminist art of 1970s is dominated by light and accessible media like paper, fabric, wood, or even small-scale metal and their own body, which speaks of feminine and vulnerable aesthetics. Industrial materials like iron, steel, or even plastic, are men’s territory. It seems like woman’s physical constraits limited the materials choice. But when you dig deeper, it's largely about social prejudice. It reminds me of Linda Nochlin’s essay “Why have there been no great women artist”? In “Rosa Bonheur” section the author was talking about how hard for Rosa Bonheur to fight against social prejudice to dress in a man’s suit, use the male dominate materials-oil paint-and work without caring about her appearance, and eventually got a seat in male dominated art history. In my opinion, Heather McGill is more like Rosa Bonheur as a feminist. Instead of being a radical feminist and protesting social bias, she is against it in showing female’s power in handling industrial materials.

 

Second, the form she uses deviates from a feminine, usually organic form like Eva Hesse and Lynda Benglis. Heather McGill uses a lot of floral patterns, light color, sewing. But dominantly they are still rational geometric forms, laser cut shape edges, and shining and spotless automotive paint surface, as precise as a scientist working in a laboratory. They are scientific and neutral, and a little cool but merry at same time, which is different from sentimental or even more extreme emotions shared largely by feminist. She was talking about how she started as a physics major, and living in Detroit to absorb the Fordist spirit. I think her background and personality are reflecting in the work. She might actually forget her gender and just focus on herself when making the works. That makes me think of female scientists and engineers. To me they are feminist in a way that they make people forget their gender while working. And since gender is forgotten, the real equality is achieved.

 

In 1970s, artworks that featured vagina and violence have won the rights for women. In the 21st century, as female artists are born feminist, artworks with automotive paints and rational thinking strive for the equality for woman and the freedom to do anything they want. In this sense, Heather McGill is truly a pioneer of 21st century feminism.