THE CORRELATION BETWEEN JOAN DIDION’S PACKING LIST AND ‘THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING A WOMAN ARTIST’ BY THE GUERILLA GIRLS, IN CONTEXT OF ‘HUMAN BEHAVIOUR’ BY BJÖRK
Packing List, The White Album
1979, Joan Didion
“It should be clear that this was a list made by someone who prized control, yearned after momentum, someone determined to play her role as if she had the script, heard her cues, knew the narrative. There is on this list one significant omission, one article I needed and never had: a watch. I needed a watch not during the day, when I could turn on the car radio or ask someone, but at night, in the motel. Quite often I would ask the desk for the time every half hour or so, until finally, embarrassed to ask again, I would call Los Angeles and ask my husband. In other words I had skirts, jerseys, leotards, pullover sweater, shoes, stockings, bra, nightgown, robe, slippers, cigarettes, bourbon, shampoo, toothbrush and paste, Basis soap, razor, deodorant, aspirin, prescriptions, Tampax, face cream, powder, baby oil, mohair throw, typewriter, legal pads, pens, files and a house key, but I didn’t know what time it was. This may be a parable, either of my life as a reporter during this period or of the period itself."
Today we are discussing lists. As the one previously mentioned.
I envy Joan Didion. For being organized and establishing anonymity. She really has that whole unrecognizable thing down. As the youngsters might say.
The freedom to express yourself has become slightly obsolete, when you are obliged to blend into different crowds. The way a certain costume –a particularly plain costume– is seamlessly able to fit in. No matter the subculture or herd it inserts itself into. The difficulty of blending in is rarely achieved. Some might say even harder than the act of standing out. What does standing out even mean. It is a very strange concept I have yet to grasp. The pretenses of one ‘standing out’. Who do you stand out to? This is something I think will forever differ. I will cryptically leave this here as I unveil more about my dear Joan Didion.
Joan Didion was an American writer and journalist, Pulitzer prize winner, Broadway screenplay writer and novelist. She captured my attention with her personal essays on Southern California and the 1960s and 1970s Los Angeles music culture. As I read her book, The White Album, I had conversations with Janis Joplin and danced with Jim Morrison. I admire the convergence of journalism, tackling modern day issues, personal essays, screenplay and novel writing. Truly showing a woman can do it all. She was deemed one of the forewomen of New Journalism. Using subjective opinions and all words stemming from a personal perspective. This new style of journalism had the journalists throw themselves into the deep end and immersing their entire being in their particular subject matter. Didion’s personal attitude towards a certain group of people was never to be hidden (if I agree with her point of view or not).
Her anonymity was strictly physical, as her right to speak up was loud and vocal. Her ability to make herself vanish between these crowds in order to write these amazingly written witty essays is what sets her apart from the rest.
Though, a woman having to make herself drown into a sea of anonymity in order to be socially accepted, is a woman that’s allowed to observe. Not a woman allowed to be observed, by the masses. Something I think Joan was very aware of. And, maybe. Even used to her advantage. We as women have all learned to grasp the fact of using the anonymity and facelessness of not wanting to stand out in order to protect ourselves. We have been taught to disguise ourselves in certain situations. Hiding behind men. But, this thing we have learned, we also use in order to protect ourselves against other men.
The power one finds in anonymity is much stronger than that of vulgarism. Though, I consider myself a connoisseur of said vulgarism. So, hypothetically, a woman is considered more powerful or prominent hiding behind (a literal) mask, than showing her true innards. The mysteriousness Joan Didion needed to be a great journalist, is completely different from the Guerrilla Girls their need to be anonymous.
Guerrilla/Gorilla is a double entendre for dyslexics and people who are ‘not in the knowing’.
We as humans push ourselves into boxes. Boxes we have carefully crafted on our own. What would society look like not having the social structure it does today. We would all develop our own tastes and interests and get along based on kind personality and bitterness. Completely unrealistic. Though a girl may dream. Dream a girl may. Yet, talk freely and being put into the same hierarchical box as a man of similar talent, she may not! She may remain anonymous, or famed for her physical image or sexuality. She will never be granted recognition in the same capacity as her male counterpart.
Nor will she be judged based solely on her intellect. Without haven taken into account her body in the flesh. Better to remain anonymous. As women each day we choose to disappear in anonymity, submerge into male standards or take control over our own sexuality. I choose to be intangible, or at least I think so. While feeling the inequality of honours past and the men seeping in disdain.
In the 1989 work “Do Women Have To Bo Naked To Get Into The Met. Museum?”. The Guerrilla Girls captured the entire ethos of what I meant previously. In disgust I try to awaken a fiery feeling we all have burning in a pit in our stomach. The same way the Girls have tried to radically evoke a sense of protest. In the poster displayed on buses throughout the late 1980s New York City, a woman’s body is visibly displayed though her face completely covered by the ever so famous gorilla mask. The original painting by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres shows the woman in question fully uncovered. Though, covering her face with the famous mask in question does not make her less anonymous.
The Guerrilla Girls were, I mean are, a group of anonymous women active from 1985 untill now. They fought and are still fighting to undo the integral structures around racial and gender inequality worldwide.
All members wear gorilla masks when in public, and use code names like Frida Kahlo and Alice Neel. Referring to feminists of the past, to –I assume– reiterate their existence. In total there have been around 60 members worldwide.
But, today we are discussing lists.
My life centers around lists. This way I have always been. My brain implodes without them. I overthink, overreact, overanalyze and overstimulate not having them. Grocery lists, weekly to-do lists, monthly to-do lists, achievement lists, book lists, playlists, laptop folders, baby/dog name lists, apothecary lists, morning routines, to purchase lists, agenda’s, travel plans, and the list goes on. In fact, I am currently catching myself making a list. The upcoming list of discussion is a cynical list. Cynical in a raw and edging way. The same way I have previously tried to engross the reader. With feelings of unfairness.
The Guerrilla Girls piece: “The Advantages Of Being A Woman Artist” feels unfair. It feels negative and sad. It feels so unfair one might even try to argue their way into standing up! Standing up not only for themselves, but for all women. Standing up for the marginalization of women, and especially women of colour.
The list goes as follows.
The Advantages Of Being A Woman Artist
1988, Guerrilla Girls
“Notice the deliberate anonymity of costume: in a skirt, a leotard and stockings, I could pass on either side of the culture.” A short excerpt from Joan Didion’s list.
“Getting your picture in the art magazine wearing a gorilla suit.” Another short excerpt, though from the Guerilla Girls list.
This shows that in both cases, though completely different. In order to make your way into the press, or be able to even become the press, one has to lean on their anonymity. Another thing I would like to highlight is the sentence about being labeled feminine in the Guerrilla Girls list.
This being a feeling I am strangely familiar with. Here is an excerpt from the notes app on my phone.
“I am incredibly annoyed about the painting that is hanging across from my (boyfriends) bed– because he liked it so much. I made it once to pass time as I was sick. The two brown blobby shapes I painted, kept reminding me of ballerinas.
I drew two small bows. They indeed grew into two tiny tender ballerina shoes.
Across the bed.
Every night.
I look at them.
Feeling ridiculous and unserious.
I could never be taken seriously as an artist if my work pictured such delicate feminine things.
Me not even having the intention of being taken seriously as an artist, more or less just killing precious hours of illness. Though, I still feel hugely irritated and am immensely harsh on myself about these shoes.
No bows.
No shoes.
No ballerinas.
Every night I fall asleep thinking about how I could make the painting ‘darker’ or more interesting.
But perhaps.
Maybe.
This is just how dark, mysterious or interesting I am.
And is there even something wrong with a surface level of beauty.
Or am I doubting this reflecting on myself.
My image?
I did end up changing the painting.”
Björk certainly has her whole image thing down. She is an award winning, unique, over-the-top, creative artist. She chooses not to suffocate in mediocrity or anonymity. She writes and sings about society and throwing things off her cliff. She is unapologetically recognizable, and herself. Or is she hiding behind a façade of meticulously chosen persona. I guess we will never know. In conclusion I am celebrating my black-haired locks and tiny ballerina feet. My never-ending to-do list, my right to stand out and the ability to have my picture taken (with face).
So, as I am doing, having, writing and feeling all these things. I am listening to ‘Human Behaviour’ by Björk.
If you ever get close to a human
And human behavior
Be ready, be ready to get confused
There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic
To human behavior
But yet so, yet so irresistible
And there is no map
They're terribly, terribly, terribly moody
Oh, human behavior
Then all of a sudden turn happy
But, oh, to get involved in the exchange
Of human emotions
Is ever so, ever so satisfying
And there is no map
Human behavior
Human behavior
Human behavior
Human behavior
And there is no map
And a compass wouldn't help at all
Human behavior
Human behavior
Human behavior
Human behavior
There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic
Human behavior
Human behavior
Human behavior
There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic
Human
Human
Human
Human
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-the-advantages-of-being-a-woman-artist-p78796 - Guerrilla Girls, artwork information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Journalism - New Journalism
https://www.supersummary.com/the-white-album/part-1-summary/ - Summary of The White Album, by Joan Didion