Uplift Magazine

High Tide Heels

By: Sarah Barnes, 08.12.2009 | Comments (1)

These high heeled flippers caught my eye whilst in Bruges this weekend. These absurd oddities were not for sale in a shop, however (thank goodness!)… they are in fact a creation of Belgian artist Paul Schietekat. For me, they are a lighthearted starter point to discuss idealised ‘femininity’ versus functionality…

The ‘High Tide Heels’ are currently on display at the Pinsart gallery, but have actually been around since 2006. They have appeared in an advert for Canal plus (if I understand correctly the ad says that, even though it’s the summer season, there’s no rest for bitches!)  and they also seem to have inspired similar designs that have made it onto the catwalk and adverts raising awareness about global warming!

(Photograph by Sarah Barnes)

Alex Brew talks tonight at ‘Shattered’

By: Sarah Barnes, 19.11.2009 | Comments (0)

Photographer, writer and Uplift contributor, Alex Brew will be giving a talk tonight at the opening of new exhibition ‘Shattered’. Brew will be exhibiting and discussing images from the Asking For It project that was first shown at Ladyfest London in May 2008. To create the series of images, Brew approached men in public spaces and asked them to fully or partially undress for her and her camera. Her resulting images raised questions about objectification, sexual freedom and power relations between the genders.

Brew will be joined by ceramicist Claudia Clare for the discussion, which runs from 7 til 9pm. Clare’s work consists of  five, giant sized, broken and mended clay pots, which were made in response to contemporary women’s stories of surviving sexual violence.

The Shattered exhibition is a product of working with Rape Crisis, England & Wales. It runs from until the 12th of December at The Original Gallery, Hornsey Library, Haringey Park, N8 9JA. Opening times: Monday – Friday, 1-7.00pm, Saturday and Sunday, 12-4.00pm

(Thumbnail images from Alex Brew’s website)

Miss Van shows us her ‘Lovestain’

By: Sarah Barnes, 06.11.2009 | Comments (1)

The work of Vanessa Alice Bensimon, better known as Miss Van, has always been a conundrum for feminists. On the one hand, when Miss Van (a native of Toulouse, France) began painting her buxom and rather arrogant looking ‘poupees’ in the mid 1990’s she was doing something really fresh and new. Along with fellow graffiti artist  Mademoiselle Kat, Miss Van created a vibrant feminine scene within the normally male dominated graffiti world. Her work, and relatively unusual artistic practice (Miss Van favours latex paint and brushes to spray cans), has since inspired many female graffers to pick up their paintbrushes and put their creativity out there.

All good stuff, of course! However, there’s that other hand to think about…

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