1993 APT1 Conference : Identity, tradition and change

EXAMINING OUR ROLES AS WOMEN AND AS ARTISTS12 by # o Imelda Cajipe Enaaya Philippine Visual Artist How is the woman artist different from her male counterpart? Normally, her career is protracted if at all she can have one, keep her man and family too. Caught in the daily maze of cooking meals, changing diapers, feeding the baby, washing dishes and doing the laundry, she just has to be extraordinarily brilliant as manager and passionately driven as artist to be able to seize time and budget for her artistic work. Women artists' are those who express viewpoints and experiences distinctly from the men, and are conscious of it. They are feminists who recognize that women are a marginalized force in society because of gender and have decided to contribute to its rectification. They aspire to create distinct womanly symbols and expressions. Working towards a positive image of women is also a concern. Beyond liberating themselves, their vision is to bring womankind to self-sufficiency and full humanity. They declare that they are not anti-male and therefore are not out to create a reverse chauvinism. Rather than engage in ideological debate, they create about life and portray woman's specific situation, attempting to correct sexual sterotypes that oppress women and limit the men. Incessantly torn between her twofold committment as political activist and meditative artist, the feminist tackles both artistic problems and social issue. Often she asks : Is it propaganda? Or is it art? BIOLOGICAL FATE: WOMAN'S PLIGHT A screaming housewife is horrified at the sight of burnt fish in her frying pan. Her little daughter dressed as harlequin impatiently waits for her meal as a Picasso-esque cat growls. These are the main figures in Julie Lluch's terracota tableau called Picasso and I (1985) . Prior to this work, Lluch produced a body of sculptured cacti which humorously alluded to the phallus. Easily, she was accused of 1 Paper presented as participant, Artists Conference, First Asia-Pacific Triennial of Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, September 18, 1993 2 25 Thailand St. BLS , Paranaque, Metro-Mani1a , Philippines. 1