[gender-it] introducing myself
- From: "Sonja van Kerkhoff" <Sonjak@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <gender-it@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 14:37:35 +0200
Thanks for starting this!
I will introduce myself, because I came in late into the session on Sept =
ember 14th and did not say anything :)
I am Sonja van Kerkhoff (born in Aotearoa - New Zealand ). I moved to =
the Netherlands in 1989 at the grand age of 29 to further my art =
studies.
In New Zealand I was a teacher (high school - in art, art history, =
Maaori, and english to refugees) and freelance lecturer (art history - =
aesthetics) as well as being active as a visual artist (mostly painting =
and printmaking) and active in the Maori community.
I lived in Maastricht until 1996, finding art school very old-fashioned =
and sexist (all my 7 lecturers were males and I labelled a 'feminist' as =
if it was an insult:). I was surprised to discover that for many, in the =
Netherlands, the word "feminist" was seen as a form of insult or as a =
way of saying you were too loud. Anyway, partly in response to my v. =
traditional painting department, I moved into other media - mostly video =
or computer related.
I missed a sense of 'dialogue' I'd had in New Zealand with others in =
education and in particular those who were also involved in using =
education / educational tactics to help lower the barriers
created by or as a result of more 'mainstream' approaches.
However I am far from lonely. I'm very busy and find my 'dialogue' in =
other ways.
But it was a pleasant surprise to walk into the Gender and IT session =
and hear a whole lot of people's thoughts that were close to my own. So =
I hope I can be of some use in some way and it will be great to have =
some dialogue over time.
Currently I work 3 days a week for the Dutch educational broadcasting =
corporation, Teleacnot in the internet department. I am employed for my =
computer skills for websites, but after 3 years here, I now often plan =
and design the interactive educational things I make. These are mostly =
'game-like' things made in flash to teach a concept such as my last one =
for a tv. programme on religion for 10 year olds -only in Dutch- but =
just click on images and see what happens.
www.schooltv.nl/heilige_huisjes
The things I make are often not terribly complicated because often I =
must make them in a matter of days. My goal here is to make what I do, =
less middle-class, more muliticultural as well as more 'lateral'. Most =
people are fantastic, but nearly all my colleagues come from the same =
middle-class background and so most of our tv, radio programmes are not =
very 'diverse'in terms of approach. It's an important issue but one that =
-I think- can only have any real effect by making things that attract =
(seducation in creative ways).=20
I am also active as a visual artist. I work in various media and my =
focus is more on the concept than worrying too much about the "fetish of =
consistency". Below are links to a few things:
Colonsing Oxford - performance interactions on the streets
http://members.fortunecity.com/huianui/oxford.htm
Continuity - net art - you use your arrows keys (there is sound too)
http://members.fortunecity.com/huianui/danscd/boots.swf
Movement for Mother and Child - performance with my 9 year old son, =
London http://members.fortunecity.com/huianui/wraperf.htm
Sculpture out of wood and text at a sculpture symposium in Romania
http://members.fortunecity.com/huianui/cmeas.htm#2002
The Gesture - photo-text montage in a cathedral in Bradford, U.K.
http://members.fortunecity.com/huianui/gesture.htm
Tulips from Istanbul - cast resin objects=20
http://members.fortunecity.com/huianui/tulips.htm
Athena (stills from a 2 min. video)
http://members.fortunecity.com/huianui/athenav.htm
There's a lot more too :) Everything is linked from:=20
http://members.fortunecity.com/huianui/cv.htm
And.. in some of my spare time I coordinate a magazine and website on =
the arts.
All info is here: http://bahai-library.org/bafa
My goal here is to help artists /those involved in the arts to have a =
sense of dialogue.
Mostly what I do, is interview and re-write material artists send me, so =
it is more accessible.
Thanks to you all for creating this list!
Sonja
Other related posts:
