http://youtu.be/S0rgqIpuHks

Published on Mar 29, 2012 by theObjectified

 The above being stated, I do perceive and process life through a female gaze and a very political one at that. I always represent women’s experiences, sometimes in a celebratory light and at other times, in darker, more pain filled moments. I do not create to please ( though if my art does please, I am very happy it does ), I paint to express a woman’s point of view, mine.

 I feel liberated, empowered as an artist, that I do the type of art I do, it holds to no societal, cultural, religious or familial imperatives with any degree of servitude or blind acceptance as I enjoy the questioning, the denouncing, the rejection of things patriarchal. I embrace my privileged position that allows me to be in my studio and create at my own leisure, I recognize and own it, I am privileged. And in this position of privilege I choose to create art which speaks of women’s lives, the good and the bad. My art is my ‘ cheval de guerre ‘, my war horse and my ‘ nom de guerre’ is Circé. Hehehe, well that’s as military as I ever wish to get. 

 So, here is what I have come to recognize in my art, it is deeply rooted in feminism, even my erotic pieces, it’s simply who I am. I am a new arrival on this scene of feminist art and it all began after I transitioned, when I was finally able to allow myself a voice that was mine and mine alone. I do not pretend to know or understand all of what feminism is to all women, I am happy to lend my voice to the collective voices of all women. Whether I paint an erotic piece that celebrates sexual freedom and even in your face visuals of vulvas or one of a woman descending into the depths of madness brought on by patriarchal oppression to ‘cure’ her hysteria to painting a series on Queer lives, it is with a constant, though very personal, gaze and it is imbued with what I have learned along the way as a woman, sister, queer, and feminist.

 And as no two women are completely alike, I as a woman bring my unique perspective and understanding of the world around me. I know that some of what I paint might be disturbing to some, and sometimes it is and it’s how I want it to be as I feel it is the only way to shine a light on certain aspects of what it can be like being a woman. Pieces like ‘ Yellow Wallpaper, Breaking free, Smashing Images, Food for thought, Shut up and be pretty ‘ , are meant to expose the darkness that is the patriarchy and to speak of the violence visited upon women and girls. My awareness as a woman, seeing the world around me as a woman, experiencing life as a woman, being in a female body ….. all of it informs and allows me to percieve so much more clearly the marginalization and infantilism of women in patriarchal societies and this in turn brings oxygen to stoke the fires of activism as a feminist who’s tool is her art, who’s voice is her art. 

 This same awareness and experience has also led me to great joys in celebrating all my sisters and their lives and this too, is expressed through my art. Well, there you go, and I hope to continue on the same path for a very long time.

To date, she has created paintings capturing moments and images of a High Femme, a trio of Butch women at seated at a Bar while a femme checks them out, a Drag King, a Kiki Lesbian Tanguero, a Butch Vagina, and her moving interpretation of a Transsexual crucifixion which she donated to the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in Soho, New York and is now part of their permanent collection.  Circe is eagerly committed to producing art that further reflects the many dynamic facets of Queer identity and existence.

 * my sister originally composed this note about me,I have simply updated it.

High Femme

© Circé

oil on canvas

30in. x 48in.

$3,500. CAD

Originally conceived and created as part of a larger Queer Lives series, Ms. Circe offers a sensual and stunning take on not only the visibility of queer women, but also a non-conformist portrayal of an unapologetic sexual woman.  Juxtaposed within the classical portraiture milieu we are dramatically given a moment of relaxed, confident sexuality.  Beautifully captured and portrayed Ms. Circe choses to show a confidence that confronts the viewer and asks that we linger in this captured moment, where queerness and marginalized identity has never been presented in such an archetypal and simply stunning way.  Ms. Circe continues to examine important questions about feminism and female representation in her art, unafraid of the sexual politics that have often been a centric controversial element in deconstructing feminist art practice.  Ms. Circe offers an intriguing and powerful image of female sexuality in her continued exploration of what has historically been the site of women’s oppression. 

A print of my painting ‘ Damned ‘ was part of this important exhibition denouncing the censorship of Queer Art by the Church. My friend Con Artist who also had a print of one of her pieces up on the walls of this exhibition, can be seen pointing to the image of my piece. Her’s is with the hooded priest and Altar boy. The exhibition runs till April 1, 2012.

Uncensored: Queer Art and the Church is an activist riposte to the shameful history of censorship against LGBTQ art and artists by both the Catholic Church and Fundamentalist Protestant Churches. The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art firmly believes that all art should be seen and displayed without regard to content; therefore submissions to Uncensored: Queer Art and the Church were not curated, edited, interpreted or censored.

UNCENSORED: Queer Art and the Church
March 27-April 1, 2012; 12pm-6pm

In response to the church’s recent call to censor the groundbreaking exhibition Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture at the Brooklyn Museum, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art is hosting Uncensored: Queer Art and the Church

Leslie-Lohman Museum Annex
127-B Prince Street, New York, NY 10012
info@uncensoredexhibition.org

The image of my painting ‘ Damned ‘ will be among the art exhibited.

Opening Reception:
Tuesday, March 27; 6-8PM                                                                                                                        

On view for one week

March 27-31, 12pm-6pm

Leslie-Lohman Museum Annex

127-B Prince Street, New York, NY 10012

info@uncensoredexhibition.org

Lones Wolves and the femme ( in progress )

© Circé

oil on canvas

20in. x 40in.

 Liz first book Red Rover was a success and her second one called Oranges and Lemons is due for release on April 15th, 2012. 

Please go check out her website as well as her Facebook Fan Page:

http://www.lizbugg.com

http-//www.facebook.com/CalliBarnowMysterySeries

http://ads.xtra.ca/www/delivery/afr.php?zoneid=109&source=Ottawa&target=_blank&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE&ct0=INSERT_CLICKURL_HERE

Joelle Circé has been experiencing an artistic and personal awakening.

As a lesbian of transexual origin, Circé’s physical transition has also led to a profound emotional shift. She started to experience a new level of wonder and fascination with women’s bodies, and her growing personal experience with misogyny and oppression transformed her art into decidedly queer work.

“I had stopped [painting] for about ten years before my transition,” says Circé. “Before that, I was doing landscapes, still lifes and portraits for a living. It wasn’t satisfying enough. I dropped it all, walked away from it and joined Scientology for 14 years.”

But when Circé came out as a woman to her fellow Scientologists in Los Angeles, she says it did not go over well. She decided to move back to Canada and make space in her life to fully become herself.

Joelle Circé paints erotic scenes ranging from rope play to crucifixion.

(Joelle Circé)

This month at Venus Envy, locals get a chance to see what she’s been working on throughout this transformative period.

Her body of work began with a series of vaginal portraits she started painting 12 years ago.

“They were the first paintings I did after my transition,” says Circé. “Some of them are erotic — BDSM and fetish — and others are more feminist, addressing body issues and misogyny.”

From there, Circé moved on to a series of portraits with queer and kink themes — capturing rope play, eroticism, dildos and harnesses, moments of personal and sexual liberation, as well as images of the queer and gaymous, like Montreal’s Nat King Pole and New York’s Con Artist.

These last two portraits are currently on loan to the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York, along with an image of transsexual crucifixion, called Damned, which was accepted into the permanent collection there four months ago.

“I was in at the reception for an all women’s art show, called Estrogenius, in New York,” says Circé. “The curator said, ‘Come over here. I want to introduce you to someone.’ Very unexpected. That’s how it came about.”

This month’s show, The Art of Joelle Circé, features samples of the Circé’s edgiest work, which is right at home amongst the dildos, vibrators, floggers, rope and books of erotica permanently on offer at Venus Envy.

Broken Images is on display at Venus Envy

(Joelle Circé)

The Deets:

The Art of Joelle Circé

March 4–31

Venus Envy

320 Lisgar St

circesart.com

venusenvy.ca

http://www.xtra.ca/public/Ottawa/Joelle_Circes_artistic_journey-11689.aspx#.T2ER7BHBH9l.facebook