Catherine Elwes

In the 80s video artist Catherine Elwes made work such as There Is A Myth (about breastfeeding her son) and First House (the 3 year old distracts the mother from what she is doing by tapping on the window). Elwes suggested this work was not just autobiographical and placed it in the context of her previous feminist artwork. Likewise, I used last year’s seminar to think through the relationship between my current practice and my pre-children work as a photographer of the male body and as a feminist against censorship. Making this connection was important for me to have conviction in my current practice. Elwes has also suggested that domestically based installation work is an effect of feminism’s breaking down the barriers between personal and public. I also noted that she suggested that the need of women artists to do this could be a response to the disillusionment or powerlessness to affect wider public politics outside the home (lack of time to be effective!) and I recognise this as a possible motivation within my own practice.