To mark today's International Women's Day, the W Project have invited a diverse range of female talent – many of whom are longstanding AnOther contributors – to share their words of wisdom on a postcard in the medium of their choice...
A year ago today, on the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD), Teo Connor and Loren Platt launched The W Project. Celebrating women working across the creative industries, it aims to promote empowering role models and help build a better creative community for the future.
To mark 2012’s IWD, the W Project have invited a diverse range of female talent – many of whom are longstanding AnOther contributors – to share their words of wisdom on a postcard in the medium of their choice. The eponymously titled exhibition – Words Of Wisdom – which opens tonight at London’s KK Outlet, presents an intriguing insight into women’s creative mindset via the uniform mini-artworks displayed side-by-side across the gallery’s walls.
Here a selection of the show’s contributors share the meaning behind their choice of wise words and explain their creative interpretation…
Quentin Jones: Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing the ones to keep.
“I wanted to say something that relates to the way I work, so the piece would be self-reflective. To do this I made a series of gestural 'mistakes', and decided which ones to 'keep' by adding an extra visual element to them. Hopefully this makes the viewer question whether the chosen splats are elevated to 'art' status.”
Margot Bowman: Honesty is the best policy.
“I chose ‘Honesty is the best policy' because it doesn't matter what's happened as long as you act in a way that is true to yourself things will turn out the way they are supposed to. I used watercolour, acrylic and hologram paper to create the face of someone about to make a decision.”
Fred Butler: Enjoy the moment and you will always treasure the memory.
It was a text message from my dad that really touched me at the time and has stayed with me ever since. I have a very positive, optimistic outlook and I think its from his mantra of never taking anything for granted and appreciating the best in every situation. In this instance it was one of the best experiences and I'll always remember it. When I make thank-you cards I make these scrabble letters, so I have scaled it down for my postcard to TheWProject. I wanted it to be clean, concise, and to the point of the ‘words of wisdom’.”
"Enjoy the moment and you will always treasure the memory."
Melanie Crete: Mieux vaut ne penser à rien. Que ne pas penser du tout.
“The quote is from the song 'Ces petits rien' by Serge Gainsbourg. It says that it is better to think of nothing, than not thinking at all. This makes me think a hell of a lot! Not entirely sure these are the ultimate words of wisdom to be honest but wisdom ties in with thinking…”
Patternity: Look beyond
“At Patternity our fundamental aim is to promote an awareness of seeing pattern everywhere. We encourage people to become inspired by their surroundings – seeing the patterned coincidences in one image to the next, noting the beauty in the seemingly banal and contrasting the mundane with the magnificent. ‘Looking beyond' and noticing pattern in the broadest sense can help us to regain perspective, anchor us in the moment and also identify our place within a complex world – positively engaging us with our environment and each other.”
Rose Blake: Dance on art.
“It means that art isn't just for looking at, but for living with (and dancing on). My postcard is a small painting on wood of me dancing on a plinth with a big black pot.”
Shaz Madani: Try again. Try again. Try again. Try again. Try again.
“My piece is a little typographic take on the perseverance and consistency that is needed to overcome something difficult. If you fall at the first hurdle you just have to remain positive and try again, maybe from a different angle. Eventually you will get there.”
Suzi Kemp: Female stereotyping is a bitch.
“Negative stereotypes aren't helpful! The potential of what you are capable of is infinite. Try your hand at everything you want to. For my piece I wanted to pass on a hand-written message, it's colourful and fun, but I also mean business.”
Text by Lucia davies
