Cecilia Dougherty
Encyclopedia
Cecilia Dougherty creates videotapes and digital films which focus on the themes of lesbian
ism and popular culture
. While her early work places lesbians in a cultural territory separate from mainstream society, other projects portray the lesbian experience in terms of commonly-held norm
s; in her own words, "the life of an ordinary lesbian and her working-class
family."
Her work, which is created primarily as video art
, is actually not chiefly 'about' lesbianism, but is about the nature of individual experience within society, with strong psychological themes. She uses biography
, essay
, portrait
ure and autobiography
to examine the nature of human experience.
An early influence in Dougherty's life was the poetry of Robert Graves
.
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
ism and popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. While her early work places lesbians in a cultural territory separate from mainstream society, other projects portray the lesbian experience in terms of commonly-held norm
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
s; in her own words, "the life of an ordinary lesbian and her working-class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
family."
Her work, which is created primarily as video art
Video art
Video art is a type of art which relies on moving pictures and comprises video and/or audio data. . Video art came into existence during the 1960s and 1970s, is still widely practiced and has given rise to the widespread use of video installations...
, is actually not chiefly 'about' lesbianism, but is about the nature of individual experience within society, with strong psychological themes. She uses biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
, portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
ure and autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
to examine the nature of human experience.
An early influence in Dougherty's life was the poetry of Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
.
Videography
- Lynne (2004), 6.00, portrait of writer Lynne Tillman
- Kevin and Cedar (2002), 8:30, portrait of writers Kevin Killian and Cedar Sigo
- Gone (2001), 36:42, dual projection video installation, experimental documentary
- Eileen (2000), 10:20, portrait of writer Eileen MylesEileen MylesEileen Myles is an American poet who has also worked in fiction, non-fiction, and theater.She won a 2010 Shelley Memorial Award.-Early life and career:...
- Laurie (1998), 11:02, portrait of writer Laurie Weeks
- Leslie (1998), 11:04, portrait of writer Leslie ScalapinoLeslie ScalapinoLeslie Scalapino was a United States poet, experimental prose writer, playwright, essayist, and editor, sometimes grouped in with the Language poets, though she felt closely tied to the Beat poets. A longtime resident of California's Bay Area, she earned an M.A. in English from the University of...
- Untitled (Crash) (1997), video installation, collaboration with sculptor Taylor Davis
- The dream and the waking (1997), 15:10, experimental documentary video
- My Failure to Assimilate (1995), 20:00, experimental documentary video
- I’m Leaving Home Without You (You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)), (1994), single channel video installation
- Joe-Joe (1993), 52:00, experimental biography, video collaboration with artist Leslie Singer
- In flux (1993), 50:00, video diary, collaboration with Leslie Singer
- The Drama of the Gifted Child (1992), 5:30, video essay
- Meet Me in Saint Louis, Fuck Me in Kansas City (1992), video diary, collaboration with artist Leslie Singer
- Coal Miner’s Granddaughter (1991), 80:00, fictionalized autobiography
- Hello World, Goodbye San Francisco (1991), 35:00, video diary, collaboration with artist Leslie Singer
- The Temptation of Jane (1990), 50:00, video diary, collaboration with artist Leslie Singer
- The Passion of Jane (1990), 11:00, video letter
- Grapefruit (1989), 39:10, experimental documentary
- Kathy (1988), 12:00, video essay
- Claudia (1987), 7:50, video essay
- Coat of Arms I (1987), 16:00, essay, slow scan video capture
- Coat of Arms II (1987), 8:00, essay, edited version of slow scan video
- 76 Trombones (1987), 3:30, experimental video
- Fuck You Purdue (1987), 12:00, video plagiarism based on the work of artist Howard FriedHoward FriedHoward Fried is an American conceptual artist who became known in the 1970s for his pioneering work in video art, performance art, and installation art.He lives and works in Vallejo, California.-Biography:...
- Birdland (1986), 16:00, narrative
- Sick (1986), 5:30, documentary
- Gay Tape: Butch and Femme (1985), 26:00, documentary
External links
- Cecilia Dougherty in the Video Data BankVideo Data BankVideo Data Bank is an international video art distribution organization and a resource in the United States for videos by and about contemporary artists...
- Artist Background Information
- Melissa Anderson, "Superstar: The Pat Loud Story/Double Fantasy," The Village Voice, article online, March 7–13, 2001, http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0110,anderson,22853,20.html
- Aaron Krach, "Festivals: Talent Show, 8th New York Underground's Movie Mish Mash," Indie Wire, online publication, March 21, 2001, http://www.indiewire.com/ots/fes_01NYUFF_010321_wrap.html