Are you a woman in authority? What does a woman in authority look like? Would we recognise her if we saw her? Would we respect what she had to say? “Are You a Woman in Authority?” exhibition at the Phoenix Art Space in Brighton poses these questions and attempts to unpick how class, gender identity, sexuality, and disability impact opportunities in society.
Nuanced and thought-provoking, this exhibition utilises multiple formats and practices to question what a woman in authority looks like and what it truly means. If anyone is looking to do something in Brighton or has some free time, they should definitely visit this exhibition whilst they have the chance (before the 19th of November 2023!).
Presented by Broken Grey Wires and the team at the Phoenix Art Space, the exhibition sits in the gallery space to the left of the front doors of the Phoenix building. With a map provided to help you navigate the pieces on display, it’s impossible not to notice one of the show’s stand-out works of art. A portrait of Britney Spears mid-way through shaving her hair off. Titled ‘If I Loved You It Was Because Of Your Hair. Now That You Are Without Hair, I Don’t Love You Anymore’
Spears sits front and centre as strands of hair lay amongst her feet like an unending sea. Simultaneously powerful and beautiful, artist Sarah Maple repurposes one of the most prominent pop-culture images of the late 2000s.
Through this painting, Maple converts its origins as a crude paparazzi photo taken without Spears’ consent into an image of power with Spears calmly looking back at the viewer.
Continuing through the space, multiple vintage Sony TV sets depict various scenes, compilations, and interviews. From a video compilation of multiple different portrayals of women in film and TV to an absurdist interview with a housewife another piece that stood out was an interview piece recorded by Kevanté AC Cash. Titled ‘The Mask As Identity’ the interview dissected the manner in which black, queer people don various types of masks for various types of reasons and the methods in which masks both protect and isolate the wearer.
At the end of the exhibition sat The Comfort Room, a space painted and decorated in red hues with various feminist pieces of literature and zines decorated the shelves. Divided by a delicate, orange curtain this warm space, contrasted starkly with the minimalist white-walled space of the main exhibition and it allowed guests to sit and digest all they had taken in. It was a perfect touch and a great addition to the experience.
Overall ‘Are You a Woman in Authority?‘ successfully dissected the multitude of ways that different identities are impacted in our society and how they can converge on the body to limit or enable opportunity depending on those factors.
Leaving with a sense that the question the exhibition asked couldn’t be answered in one particular way, I would thoroughly recommend seeing this exhibition firsthand to form your opinion before it closes on the 19th of November.
To find out more: https://www.phoenixbrighton.org/Events/are-you-a-woman-in-authority/