XX & XY & Chick Rice

by Maeve Doyle

In October of this year Chick Rice had a solo show at Monte Clark Gallery. The show included three bodies of work: The Ugly Portraits; Compassion, Empathy, Guilt and Shame; and Landscape.

For the photographs in the Ugly Portraits, labelled XX or XY to signify the appropriate gender of the sitter, Rice placed a camera two inches from each sitter’s face.

The P.M.S. Show Oct 31 - Nov. 8

No Pink Curtain Around This Show

by Maeve Doyle

Ask around and you will discover that it is difficult to find anyone willing to commit to being a feminist.

The majority will wince and say “I’m not a male basher” or “| don’t see myself as a victim” or “We have gone past that time in history and the issues are no longer relevant.”

So proposing a show that will be associated explicitly with feminist subject matter in an atmosphere that is scepticle at best and hostile at worst to feminist concerns is daring.

From its developmental conception, show organizer Deb Dyer was determined “not to draw a pink curtain around the show.”

The original proposal stated “The P.M.S. show will be open to all areas and levels of study, as well as both sexes - because, as we all know, everybody suffers from a little P.M.S. now and then.”

Three men and twenty seven women submitted work.

Deb Dyer, Anna Cameron and Lisa Fedorak curated and hung The P.M.S. Show under the working title of “Angst, Humor, Irony and the Underlying Craziness.”

It is difficult to make P.M.S. palatable to an audience. But this show, like last year’s Bad Girls (check library for catalogue), introduces the serious subject of raging hormones with humour.

Generally, conversations about bloating, bleeding and cramping are exclusive to television commercials (that use blue liquid) and within the privacy of your own home. By opening for discussion what is often a private issue, the show presented many perspectives on a topic of this kind.

There was an open submission process, and nobody’s work was declined.

A Dadaesque humor defined the mood and was particularly apparent in Zack Ridgeley’s untitled piece. It was a soft round wax form that was in a tight frame, held in position with a weave of saw blades. In a frighteningly literal way, Zack —- who is male — accurately illustrated the cramping, bloated feeling of P.M.S.

Deb's casino imagery presented the twenty-eight day cycle as a seductive gamble on the wheel of emotional responses to P.M.S. Her piece asked us, “Where will the wheel stop, and how will | feel then? How will the world see me?”

Jane Lee’s chocolate tampons are a metaphor for the uncontrollable cravings.

For many women, the frustration of P.M.S. - aside from the symptoms - is the social standard that has put a wall of silence around the topic. The silence is effective in maintaining the biased explanations of mind over matter, hypochondria, or an excuse to feel sorry for oneself.

The underlying homour of the P.M.S. show does not present the point of view of pharmacudical companies or that of popular myth. The were no references to the “curse” or the handicap of a twenty eight day cycle. P.M.S. influences the female sex drive and shapes sexual identity, so who could com- plain about that? Maybe we really have advanced in our feminst thinking, and are finally sharing the history of male artists. Men have been making work that is a direct response to their sexual energy for centuries.

So why is it such a big political deal when women do? “®&

Personal space is a term that can mean all or nothing to different people. The photographs in this series capture reac- tions to the breaking down of social boundaries. Hair and cosmetics are eliminated from the portraits; concentration is placed mainly upon expression and character. The departure from traditional conventions of portraiture is obvious and the results are arresting for the viewer.

Rice is cataloguing faces as part of a research project

intended to challenge racial bias.

Compassion, Empathy, Guilt and Shame was an

opportunity for Chick to act out her private thoughts about mortality.

The work began at a time when she was mourning the death of

several friends who had died within a short period of time.

In this body of her work, male and female nudes are staged in poses that evoke an emotionally confusing response from the viewer. There is plenty of room to build a narrative from such features of her subjects as damaged hands and an emaciated back, to take two examples.

In one image | recall vividly, a young man pulls on his nipples in an impotent gesture that exposes his need to give, and the emptiness of his offer.

Landscape is described by the artist as an epiphany regarding our journey through life.

The photographs exonerate us from our struggle to find our path in life, and redirect us to search and focus upon the beauty that surrounds us. <@s

December 1996 / Planet of the Arts 25

Photograph above and at left from the series XX & XY

Personal Addendum

To myself and to many people in the Emily Carr. communi- ty, Chick Rice has become synonymous with a blissful enthusi- asm for life.

Rice’s deep compassion for humankind emerges in her photographs.

Finding gallery representation is notoriously difficult for photographers, a circumstance that is multiplied by ten when you speak of Vancouver.

Rice’s most recent gallery showing indicates the high stature she holds in the arts community.

GIRL TALK

FRIDAY NIGHT 6-9 PM RADIO FREE EMILY 89.3 FM

This unique radio show is hosted by the wild and crazy DJ’s known to the ‘airwaves’ as Miki and Niki. The show is mostly centered around playing music that is either fronted by a female singer or is a female band, however we do not discriminate against the male music maker. We feel that there is not enough focus on female music so we are aiming to change this. The show is not just music we also have guest speakers, both male and female, talking about issues that pertain to each individual show. We also would like our show to run new music made by the up and coming musicians here at Emily Carr or bands from Vancouver or in Canada in general. So if you want your band to get on the ‘air’ this is your chance. We will not guarantee that we will like your music but there will be no discrimination no matter if your band is a girl band or a boy band. The show also attempts to talk or bring to light issues that pertain mostly to women, i.e. sexual discrimination in the workplace, breast cancer and issues of equal pay for the female gender. If you the listener have any suggestions feel free to leave comments in the mail box of Nicola Sampson (e-mail: nsampson @eciad.be.ca) or McKinley Morris (mmorris @eciad.be.ca).

The programming of this radio show travels the gamut of music today so give us a listen, you may just have fun in doing so.

Clockwise from above, artwork of: Penny Treen, Selena Liss, Lisa Fedorak, Zack Ridgeley

XX & XY & Chick Rice

by Maeve Doyle

In October of this year Chick Rice had a solo show at Monte Clark Gallery. The show included three bodies of ‘work: The Ugly Portraits; Compassion, Empathy, Gut and ‘Shame; and Landscape.

For the photographs in the Ualy Portraits, labelled XX or XY to signify the appropriate gender of the sitter, Rice placed ‘2 camera two inches from each sitter’ face.

The PMS. Show Oct 31 Nov. 6

No Pink Curtain Around This Show

by Maeve Doyle

‘Ask around and you will discover that itis dificult to find anyone willing to commit to being a feminist.

‘The majority will wince and say “rm not a male basher” or 1 don't see myself asa vietim" or “We have gone past that ‘time in history and the issues are no longer relevant."

So proposing a show that wil be associated explicitly with ‘feminist subject matter in an atmosphere that is sceptice at best and hostile at worst to feminist concerns i daring,

From its developmental conception, show organizer Deb Dyer was determined "not to draw a pink curtain around the show."

“The original proposal stated “The PMS. show will be open toll areas and levels of study, as well as both sexes - because, a5 we all know, everybody sufers from a litle PMS. now and then”

“Three men and twenty seven women submitted work

Deb Dyer, Anna Cameron and Lisa Fedorak curated and hung The PMS. show under the working title of “Angst Humor, rony and the Underlying Craziness.”

Ttis dificult to make PMS. palatable to an audience. But this show, like last year’s Bad Girls (check library for catalogue), introduces the serious subject of raging hormones with humour.

‘Generally, conversations about bloating, bleeding and cramping are exclusive to television commercials (that use blue liquid) and within the privacy of your own home. By opening for discussion what is often a private isue, the show presented ‘many perspectives on a topic ofthis kind

There was an open submision process, and nobody's work was declined.

'A Dadaesque humor defined the mood and was particularly apparent in Zack Ridgeley's untitled piece. It was a soft round ‘wax. form that was ina tight frame, held in postion with a weave of sav blades. ina frighteningly literal way, Zack - who is male ~ accurately illustrated the cramping, bloated feeling of PMS.

‘Deb's casino imagery presented the twenty-eight day cycle ‘a a seductive gamble on the wheel of emotional responses to PMS. Her piece asked us, ‘Where will the wheel stop, and ‘howe wil | feel then? How will the world see me?"

Jane Lee's chocolate tampons are a metaphor for the uncontrollable cravings.

For many women, the frustration of PMS. - aside from the symptoms ~is the socal standard that has puta wall of silence ‘around the topic. The silence i effective in maintaining the biased explanations of mind over matter, hypochondra, or an ‘excuse to feel srry for onesel.

‘The underlying homour of the PM.S. show does not present ‘the point of view of pharmacudical companies or that of popular myth, The were no references to the “curse” or the handicap of a twenty eight day cycle. PMS. influences the ‘female sex drive and shapes sexual identity, so who could com. plain about that? Maybe we really have advanced in our feminst thinking, and are finally sharing the history of male artists. Men have been making work that i a direct response ‘to their sexual eneray for centuries.

‘So why ist such a big politcal deal when women do? “>

Personal space is aterm that can mean all or nothing to different people. The photographs inthis series capture reac tions tothe breaking down of social boundaries. Hair and ‘cosmetics are eliminated from the portraits concentration is jplaced mainly upon expression and character. The departure ‘rom traditional conventions of portraiture is obvious and. the results are arresting for the viewer.

Rice is cataloguing faces as part of a research project intended to challenge racial bas.

‘Compassion, Empathy, Guilt and Shame was an ‘opportunity for Chick to act out her private thoughts about mortality.

The work began at a time when she was mourning the death of several friends wnoas died within a short petod of time.

In ths body of her work, male and female nudes are staged in poses that evoke an emotionally confusing Tesponde from the viewer. There s plenty of room to buld 9 erative from such features of her subjects as damaged hands and an emadated bck to take two examples.

thon image real vivdly,» young man pulls on his nipple in an impotent gesture that exposes Ns need to Give, andthe emptines of his oe.

Landscape is described by the artist as an epiphany regarding our journey through life.

‘The photographs exonerate us from our struggle to find our path in life, and redirect us to search and focus upon the beauty that surrounds us.

December 1996 / Planet of the Arts 25

‘Photograph above anda et "rom the soar X87

Personal Addendum

"To myself and to many people in the Emily Carr communi- ty, Chick Rice has become synonymous with a bissul enthus: 235m for life.

Rice's deep compassion for humankind emerges in her photographs.

Finding gallery representation is notoriously dificult for photographers, a circumstance that is multiplied by ten when you speak of Vancouver

Rice's most recent gallery showing indicates the high stature she holds inthe arts community.

GIRL TALK

Ts mira how bone by ‘ned ron pi anc er pore terete