I hope empowerment has not yet become overly used word and worn out phrase because we need it. For me empowerment means finding the best qualities and gifts in me and in people to put in use and let those qualities and people evolve. To empower includes other people around, empowerment is not something that happens in a vacuum nor in capsule of my excellence. It is not to praise only one but many together. To me empowerment is not a secret cult. It does not stay hidden nor embrace hierarchy. Therefore I am a bit reluctant to believe in empowerment within fine contemporary art as it is now. For me doing art has made me find my strength, a language that I could speak. To find out how sexist, bigoted and arrogant art world is was a true shock to me of which I will never recover. My naivety vanished in a blitz second during art school. While I have tried to get over my shock which still exists I have come to know that the hit in the face that I was given was for the best. It was a true educational experience of what it is to be an unknown female artist far away. There has been no illusion whatsoever of what it is like to be all the things I am. Here is one root to my feisty feminism.

Concept of power incarnates itself in an environment of people who wish to be known and recognized. Competition to which I am not willing to take part is made by the system of few resources, institutions and experts whom should be flattered and licked for their excellence. System that cannot be criticized is a dead one. As something made of concrete changes slowly does not take critique seriously nor hear any of it treats artists as buttons and cattle is a strange world of exploitation. And they cannot admit it because art is self-evidently good, does good, brings out good issues, is on the side of the weak, tries to salvage what there is to save. Phrase art is good for you rings oddly in this circle of boneheads. Art is good for you when it brings big money, tourists and fame. In this game artist is a mere statue to show off and push away when not needed. For me art world and doing art are two separate things. My art is in the world hoping world will be world of art where creating is a human right not luxury.

“It doesn’t much matter what line of argument you take as a woman. If you venture into traditional male territory, the abuse comes anyway. It’s not what you say that prompts it—it’s the fact that you are saying it.” http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/09/01/troll-slayer utm_source=tny&utm_campaign=generalsocial&utm_medium=twitter&mbid=social_twitter