Re: women in the arts and sciences ( ws HUMOR: Anti-cryoni

From: Natasha V. More(f/k/a/Nancie Clark) (flexeon@primenet.com)
Date: Thu Jan 23 1997 - 23:19:53 MST


At 11:12 PM 1/22/97 +0000, Kathryn Aegis wrote:

>I enjoyed your post on Camille Claudel, may I please ask a followup
>question:
>QueenMuse:
>>This is not to imply that it was Rodin who was responsible, nor men, but the
>>continued victim status that women choose to accept. IMHO.
>
>This statement seems to contradict the rest of your post, and it may
>be because you chose the word 'status'. If Camille
>worked relentlessly on her art, and the art world refused to accept
>it; and then her husband stole her techniques and he was lionized by
>the art world, what in the world could she have done to change her
>'victim' status?

I look forward to QueenMuse's response, although I'd like to drop in on this
briefly. Camille suffered from problems resulting from either depression
or, possible, from an unhealthy environment. No one knows for sure. Her
behavior could have resulted from noxious dust particles from the marble
scrapings. She lived in her studio. Camille became impoverished and
increasingly isolated and was committed to a psychiatric hospital and
remained a psychiatric patient for her life.

The art world accepted her work at one point. It was short-lived, as her
low-self image prevailed as a result of the environment, alcohol,
mood-swings, etc. Unfortunately, she did not have female mentors with whom
she could model. She was isolated.

>However, if we focus on mentality, the entire picture changes.
>Camille clearly did not accept her lot in life, continued to work for
>her art against all odds, and refused to give into a victim
>'mentality'.

Her mental state was damaged, and she was not thinking clearly. It's a very
sad story. Her bravery, her incredible passion and talent and, untimately,
her inner conflict.

                        Natasha Vita More [f/k/a Nancie Clark]
                        http://www.primenet.com/~flexeon
        Exemplar Art Exhibition: http://www.primenet.com/~flexeon/galley.htm
                              * * * * * * * * * *
        "What is genius—but the power of expressing a new individuality?"
        Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61)



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