A statement about the Read My Fist print pairing from Claudia B Manley and Liss Platt, founders and current members of Hamilton-based Shake-n-Make queer art collective.
“As a queer collective whose work directly references the 1970s while elevating craft and subject matter beyond kitsch to speak to our current moment in history, we wanted to return to some iconic ‘70s symbols – the women’s power fist and the lesbian symbol (two intertwined female symbols). Through our investigation of these symbols, we sought to reinvigorate them while celebrating lesbian feminist identity and history.
This was our first foray into screen printing, and we were excited to explore colour interplay as well as see how these icons were transformed by the use of colour. The viewer experiences a shift in affective register through the colour choices we’ve made. Guerrilla Fist utilizes a palette that references both camouflage and the Lavender Menace (the name taken by lesbians protesting their exclusion from early feminist circles) while Miami Fist sparks an entirely different feel – think over-the-top art deco gay vibes. Working in the analog print studio with the enthusiastic guidance of Laine allowed us to explore screen print technology (new to us), experiment with colour, and work in editions.
We chose these symbols in the face of eroding women’s rights, most notably in the USA today. 1970 saw the Abortion Caravan from Vancouver to Ottawa seeking the expansion of abortion rights in Canada, and it was in 1973 that Roe v. Wade was passed, protecting the constitutional rights of American women to access safe and legal abortions. These issues, along with contemporary explorations of identity, have returned to the foreground and demand attention. These screen prints hope to serve as a reminder of women and lesbians’ collective strength and resilience.”
