About the Curator
Lex Kang is a member of the class of 2021 at Dartmouth College majoring in Government modified with philosophy and political economy, Linguistics, and Psychology from Seoul, Korea. Her interdisciplinary interests have the common denominator of being interested in human society: how it is organized, its influence on the individual, and its variation and change. Lex developed her interest in art through art history courses and through being the editor for the Arts section of The Dartmouth before curating this exhibition through her position as a curatorial Homma Family Intern at the Hood Museum of Art in 2023.
About the Exhibit
Over time, with deeper engagement with art, I began to appreciate art for more than its surface-level aesthetic value: I found myself able to relate to art, find meaning in it, and forge my own interpretations of it. This led me to realize that, contrary to the way I thought previously, art and my academic interests in the social sciences are not necessarily bifurcated. They can be connected and can even be a useful tool to communicate important messages in such topics beyond just myself. A picture is worth a thousand words, after all.
“This led me to realize that, contrary to the way I thought previously, art and my academic interests in the social sciences are not necessarily bifurcated.”
I decided to take advantage of the communicative and reflective power of art to act as visual aids inspiring personal connection to introduce the nuanced, complex, and frequently controversial subject of feminism. I believe feminism is a valuable critical theory to be aware of regardless of political implications, but how heavily loaded the topic is has made it inaccessible to many. By using powerful art depicting a relationship that is approachable and familiar to many as an avenue to discuss the concept, I hoped to provide a reflective exercise that communicates the theoretical background while focusing on the personal rather than the political. Further introductory reading to the academic theory the concepts the exhibition was constructed around can be found on the “Theoretical Grounds” page. Simultaneously, my secondary goal is to make art in itself more accessible, in the same way it has become for me. My labels and reflective questions intend to demonstrate ways in which art can be seen on levels beyond the surface that can be repurposed when engaging with other art in the future.
References
Country Life September 3. “In Focus: William Lee-Hankey, the British Painter Who Became Famous Painting French Rural Life.” Country Life, Future Publishing Limited Quay House, 3 Sept. 2021, https://www.countrylife.co.uk/luxury/art-and-antiques/in-focus-william-lee-hankey-the-british-painter-who-became-famous-painting-french-rural-life-232046.
Flax, Jane. “The Conflict between Nurturance and Autonomy in Mother-Daughter Relationships and within Feminism.” Feminist Studies, vol. 4, no. 2, 1978, p. 171., https://doi.org/10.2307/3177468.
Hasseldine, Rosjke. “Uncovering the Root Cause of Mother-Daughter Conflict.” Counseling Today: A Publication of the American Counseling Association, 8 Jan. 2020, https://ct.counseling.org/2020/01/uncovering-the-root-cause-of-mother-daughter-conflict/.
Joseph, Gloria I., and Jill Lewis. Common Differences: Conflicts in Black and White Feminist Perspectives. South End Press, 1986.
Kitamura, Kotomi. “Adult Mother-Daughter Relationships and Psychological Well-Being: Attachment to Mothers, Depressive Symptoms, and Self-Esteem.” The Japanese Journal of Psychology, vol. 79, no. 2, June 2008, pp. 116–124., https://doi.org/10.4992/jjpsy.79.116.
Miller, Jean Baker. Toward a New Psychology of Women. Penguin, 1991.
Pildes, Judith. “Mothers and Daughters: Understanding the Roles.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 3, no. 2, 1978, pp. 1–11. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3346391. Accessed 16 May 2023.
Rich, Adrienne, et al. Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution. W. W. Norton & Company, 2021.
Sontag, Susan. On Photography. Penguin Books, 1977.
Walters, Suzanna D. Lives Together/Worlds Apart: Mothers and Daughters in Popular Culture. Univ. of California Press, 1994.