International Women's Day in Russia 2013

"The curators of the exhibition explained that any mention of Pussy Riot is dangerous today."

victoria-lomaskos-pussy-riot-drawings-censored-from-feminist-exhibition

Interesting for a few reasons. Art censorship thrives, art that is political is rejected, art that is challenging of society is dangerous, in other words art must not exceed certain boundaries in holding a mirror up to convention because convention can be ugly and shamed by its own visage. And finally worth noting is how the Curator and Assistant Curator operated in unison to discredit the artist here. Liars and cowards will stick together no matter the context.

Read and learn more about Victoria Lomaskos' work here http://chtodelat.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/victoria-lomasko

Victoria Lomasko, with works from her and Anton Nikolaev’s series Tagansky Justice, at the exhibition of Kandinsky Prize nominees, 2010. Photo by Vlad Chizhenkov

International Women's Day - a celebration of equality

Selene - detail

It is hard for me to comprehend I was born into a world where women employed in the public service were, when married, forced to leave their employment, career, in some cases their life's work to tend to their new role as home keeper and bearer of children. It wasn't until 1966 in Australia when this Dickensian form of legislated discrimination against women was removed. 

Somewhat auspiciously by contrast in 1902 Australia became the first country in the world to allow (white) women to vote and to stand for public office. (New Zealand awarded the vote to women in 1893 though not the right to office until much later) In my home state of Victoria women won the right to vote last (1908) in Australia and of all her compatriots was last again to be awarded the right to stand for office (1923).
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Edith Cowan,