How I Became a Feminist By Reading Nietzsche (2016 - 2017)
See text below images for project statement.
While it is art that provides me with purpose, it is philosophy that provides me with clarity.
This series consists of feminist revisions of quotes I’ve gleaned from philosophical texts by German Romantic philosophers Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzche, and psychologist Sigmund Freud. I’ve altered their words by replacing all masculine terms with feminine counterparts providing an alternate understanding of these texts.
Schopenhauer theorized on the natural forces of life, claiming that The Will (to live) is the driving impetus behind human actions, often operating unconsciously. The will manifests itself in reproduction and care for one’s young because they provide immortality. The will is a force much stronger than the intellect, which it is in conflict with, except in genius. Schopenhauer’s theory had a profound influence on Nietzche, Darwin and Freud.
Nietzsche, best known for his atheistic agenda, unintentionally aided the feminist cause. Christianity, like many other religions, is repressive to women because it was Eve who was responsible for the original sin. How long must we serve the sentence of this sin? By doing away with religion we can finally cut the ties to these repressive bonds.
Freud, expanding on Schopenhauer’s theory of The Will and Nietzsche’s theory of Love, theorized that love and the parent-child relationship is a selfish deception - parents only “love” and care for their children because they represent immortality and, children only “love” their parents to the capacity at which they depend upon them for survival. A clear understanding of this concept allows one to discard the traditional ties that bind us to family.
Though misogynistic, these men's words provided clarity that formed the core of my adult values; their influences both inspired me and brought out a streak of defiance, which, combined with my own personal experiences and existential conclusions, have contributed to my being godless, childless, and famliless.
The tongue-in-cheek titles of each work are a nod to Nietzsche’s chapter titles of “Ecce Homo: How One Becomes What One Is”, including "Why I Am So Wise", "Why I Am So Clever", and "Why I Write Such Good Books".
This series consists of works on paper with gold leaf and nail polish, a traditionally feminine paint that is foreign to the art world, which, in a sense is also exploring painting.
- Holly Marie Armishaw
This series consists of feminist revisions of quotes I’ve gleaned from philosophical texts by German Romantic philosophers Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzche, and psychologist Sigmund Freud. I’ve altered their words by replacing all masculine terms with feminine counterparts providing an alternate understanding of these texts.
Schopenhauer theorized on the natural forces of life, claiming that The Will (to live) is the driving impetus behind human actions, often operating unconsciously. The will manifests itself in reproduction and care for one’s young because they provide immortality. The will is a force much stronger than the intellect, which it is in conflict with, except in genius. Schopenhauer’s theory had a profound influence on Nietzche, Darwin and Freud.
Nietzsche, best known for his atheistic agenda, unintentionally aided the feminist cause. Christianity, like many other religions, is repressive to women because it was Eve who was responsible for the original sin. How long must we serve the sentence of this sin? By doing away with religion we can finally cut the ties to these repressive bonds.
Freud, expanding on Schopenhauer’s theory of The Will and Nietzsche’s theory of Love, theorized that love and the parent-child relationship is a selfish deception - parents only “love” and care for their children because they represent immortality and, children only “love” their parents to the capacity at which they depend upon them for survival. A clear understanding of this concept allows one to discard the traditional ties that bind us to family.
Though misogynistic, these men's words provided clarity that formed the core of my adult values; their influences both inspired me and brought out a streak of defiance, which, combined with my own personal experiences and existential conclusions, have contributed to my being godless, childless, and famliless.
The tongue-in-cheek titles of each work are a nod to Nietzsche’s chapter titles of “Ecce Homo: How One Becomes What One Is”, including "Why I Am So Wise", "Why I Am So Clever", and "Why I Write Such Good Books".
This series consists of works on paper with gold leaf and nail polish, a traditionally feminine paint that is foreign to the art world, which, in a sense is also exploring painting.
- Holly Marie Armishaw
