"Amazons, Goddesses and Wonder Women: A Fulbright Journey"
On view: Nov. 1 – 23, 2022
Donna Dodson, K. Melchor Hall, Trina Baker, Eric Keller, Lexy Saunders, Paola Almonte Colon, Sarah Clifford, Pilar Duvivier, Cyrenity Augustin
Curated by Maya Rubio
Black Panther (2020). Black walnut and colored pencil, 30” tall. Courtesy of the artist.
Since 2020, Donna Dodson has collaborated with several artists and scholars to translate her wood sculpture series "Amazons Among Us" into a variety of mediums, including poetry and animation. Dodson's sculptures are inspired by legendary warrior women, such as the ancient Amazons of the steppes, the Dahomey of West Africa and the Rani of Jhansi.
As Dodson's heroines transform through porous materials of wood, wor and pixels, this interdisciplinary collaboration honors the endurance of ancient storytelling and extends it towards a posthuman future. Earthy, sensuous wooden icons encounter digital avatars of infinitude. A score of poetry written by K. Melchor Hall grounds the environment. "Amazons, Goddesses and Wonder Women" examines how historical and futurist feminist mythologies can evoke ancestral connection, a sense of resiliency and belonging. Audiences are invited to consider their own presence amongst these figures and how they can help craft legacies of social transformation and restorative justice.
This exhibition features wood sculptures by Brandeis University WSRC Resident Scholar Donna Dodson; poems by Brandeis University WSRC Resident Scholar K. Melchor Hall; collaborative animations with Trina Baker, Lesley University Chair of Animation; and Eric Keller, professional animator and CG artist, with concept art and 3D models by Lesley University interns Lexy Saunders, Paola Almonte Colon and Sarah Clifford and posterboards by Brandeis University Student Scholar Partners Pilar Duvivier and Cyrenity Augustin. Alongside this artwork, the exhibition features feminist animations from Dodson's international colleagues, whom she met during her Fulbright U.S. Scholar Artist Residency at Q21/MQ in Vienna, Austria, with her host, Tricky Women/Tricky Realities, the world’s first and only animation festival for women artists.
"Amazons, Goddesses and Wonder Women: A Fulbright Journey" is curated by Maya Rubio.