I Like: Rosie the Riveter

Last weekend I had the pleasure and the joy of photographing Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. Have I mentioned how much I love my job? Probably. Let's move on.

My media pass got me into a pretty spectacular pre-parade area, where I could wander around and meet the various groups preparing to march in the parade. Whilst on the move I saw a couple of girls dressed like one of my favourite cultural icons, Rosie the Riveter.


I ventured further down the road, and found a whole stack of them!


"Look at you, ladies!" I gushed as I took their photo. "You're like a dream come true. Rosie's my hero." Embarrassing? Yes. A bunch of falsities? No. I decided that when I got home to Auckland I would find out more about these girls.

The girls were from a group called The Femme Guild of Sydney, who believe in the solidarity, celebration and visibility of those who identify as femme (essentially defined as a lesbian who exhibits "stereotypically female traits", but from the group's manifesto - and the photo below - they obviously believe in the solidarity, celebration and visibility of more than just "lipstick lesbians").


In the group's manifesto, they state:

"We actively recognise the generations of activism that have challenged traditional gender roles and struggled to explode the die-hard myth of the sex/gender binary. Femme Guild peacefully co-exists with other radical ways to play with gender, or to be a woman. There is no one way to be a woman, to be trans, to be queer, or to be a man."

If you've been following my blog - on in fact, me - for a while, you'll know that this facet of their manifesto speaks to me. I play a sport that was built on these same ideals of challenging traditional gender roles. Ask anyone who plays roller derby why they love it, and they will no doubt tell you how they love the dynamic the sport presents - you can be fast, agile, tactile, skilful, sexy, feminine, "butch"*, physical, brutal - all at the same time. These women will often repeat a popular derby mantra - "roller derby saved my soul". Not because it gave them something to do with their spare time, but because the confidence these women find on the track often translates into their everyday lives. A new derby skater often finds her voice, her own sense of style, her cause; anything. And whether they realise it or not, playing roller derby projects a powerful message of feminism - it may not necessarily be said aloud, but the message is heard loud and clear.

I'll be honest when I say that my feminist bent didn't precede roller derby by much, but looking back, all the signs were there. My long-standing obsession with Rosie the Riveter is no doubt one of them.

I recently found out that the iconic image touted as being Rosie the Riveter was not the now-classic "We Can Do It!" American war effort poster.


According to this article, the real Rosie was shown on a Norman Rockwell cover of a 1943 Saturday Evening Post.


The "Rosie" we've all come to love was actually used in Westinghouse factories when women made some 13 million Mycarta (a precursor to Formica, or "formerly Mycarta") helmet liners.

I don't think it matters overly that Rosie as a cultural icon has been replaced with a Westinghouse image - the want to portray female strength remains the same. That's why I've always like "the Rosies" of the American factories during World War II.

Credit: Office of War Information photos by Alfred T. Palmer, 1942.
Found on the gosh darn amazing Rosie the Riveter Wikipedia article.

They were real women, doing jobs they were more than capable of doing, in a time where mankind needed them most. They found their physical strength and challenged patriarchal values.

And that's why I like Rosie.

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Postscript quote

"Rich cultures, patriarchal cultures, value thin women, like ours; poor ones value fat women. But all patriarchal cultures value weak women. So for women to become physically strong is very profound."
- Gloria Steinem [SOURCE]

(With thanks to Kate for this quote)

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* Sorry to use quotes, but given the common, derogatory usage of the word butch, I hate using it.

I Like: Stefan Sagmeister

I recently stumbled across the work of Austria-born, New York-known and Indonesia-based "rock star" graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister, notably his series of installations known as Things I Have Learnt In My Life So Far. I love how his work has developed from simple ideas to huge installations, but I'll let him explain how.

"The idea for this... originally came out of my own list in my diary, under the very same title: Things I have learned in my life so far. Astonishingly, I have only learned twenty or so things so far. Over the last five years I did manage to publish these maxims all over the world, in spaces normally occupied by advertisements and promotions: as billboards, projections, light-boxes, magazine spreads, annual report covers, fashion brochures, and, recently, as giant inflatable monkeys."
- Sagmeister, from the Things website.

If you head to the website you can samples of Sagmeister's work, along with another offshoot of the original list - contributions by site users. But here is the original list (and some of the installations of) what Sagmeister has learned. I loved it. Enjoy.

THINGS I HAVE LEARNT IN MY LIFE SO FAR

Helping other people helps me.
Having guts always works out for me.

Thinking that life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.

Starting a charity is surprisingly easy.
Being not truthful works against me.
Everything I do always comes back to me.
Assuming is stifling.
Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.
Over time I get used to everything and start taking for granted.
Money does not make me happy.
Travelling alone is helpful for a new perspective on life.
Keeping a diary supports personal development.

Trying to look good limits my life.

Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses.
Worrying solves nothing.
Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.
Actually doing the things I set out to do increases my overall level of satisfaction.
Everybody thinks they are right.
If I want to explore a new direction professionally, it is helpful to try it out for myself first.
Low expectations are a good strategy.
Everybody who is honest is interesting.

More on Things I Have Learnt here:

More on Stefan Sagmeister HERE.

Inspiration, stuff and nonsense - #8

After I recently RSS'd Jono's blog over at The Shortest Word, a graphic design / inspiration blog, I was reminded of a few things I had banging around (with various levels of inspiration.)

John Samuel Waters, Jr

Michael Roulier

And a little bit of achy breaky truth from the people over at Postsecret:

I love other people's things.

Inspiration, stuff and nonsense - #6

It would appear that I'm all out of inspiration again.

I've been leaving my notebook at home, paying less attention to the things people do and say, getting increasingly frustrated at the lack of hours in the day and reading less and less and less. I'm 25 in three days, and I've been spending the last week drowning my inner child in recklessness, sleepless nights and alcohol. I do, however, have plenty of things to see, do, look forward to and love:

The scrawlings of others,

The joy in the eyes of little lives,

Dreamy thoughts on dewy days,

Suave companions filled with comic quips,

and reminders that true love still exists.

The funny,

The fanciful,

And the materially desired,

But most of all, the bright northern summer, which beckons me each morning from my home's frosty depths as my time to travel draws closer...

...maybe 25 won't be so bad.


This post goes out to my dear friend Karel who, after talk of eating danishes on first dates, has restored my brain's setting to pleasantly whimsical. Thank you K, I look forward to sweet treats, hot drinks and self-aware conversation with you soon.

Photos courtesy of The Satorialist, Facehunter, Lomography at Live Journal and various other places that I forgot to note down. If you would like crediting, please let me know.

Inspiration, stuff and nonsense - #5

I started work on a story involving my experiences at the horrid backpackers' bar that I used to work at, but it fell flat. It wanted it to be a lot more vibrant than it was, so I dropped it. This week I've decided to write a story from a photo; I'm working on that as of today and really excited about it. I've also been checking out a bunch of stuff on tumblr, and have uncovered some really beautiful photos, cheeky writers and beautiful quotes. Oh look! Here's a couple now!

And just in case I start taking myself too seriously:

Inspiration, stuff and nonsense - #4

Bumper bunch, but not because I haven't had any inspiration in a while. Hell, I've had plenty.

Sage advice, care of Alex Harcharek

Teddy Girls

OPP (Other People's Polaroids)

Fresh, ripe, prepster chic, thanks to The Satorialist

Accidents:

And last but not least:

Courage Wolf.

Inspiration, stuff and nonsense - #3

My little emo Six Word Story, thanks to John Mayer on Twitter.



This is ceremony, thanks to 1001 Rules For My Unborn Son.


Bam! Self-affirming self-high-five thanks to Tina Fey and 30 Rock.

Inspiration, stuff and nonsense - #2

Additional info:
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