Strawberry Jam Issue 2: Women, Witches and Myth

Strawberry Jam #2  

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WOMEN, WITCHES & MYTH

This issue has been created to coincide with the exhibition Witch being held at A side B side in Hackney, London. Organised by FANS OF FEMINISM the exhibition has invited artists to celebrate witches, their history and their association with women.

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Like all marginalised groups, women and our bodies have been shrouded by myth and mystery, lies and superstition. Men appear as a fact, women appear as fiction.

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The persecution of Witches across the globe has also been used as an excuse to persecute women.

Throughout history (and still today) women have been tortured and killed because of misconceptions of Pagan religions and the misconceptions and fear of powerful, intelligent women.

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The stereotype of the Witch is just part of the myth surrounding the woman. There is also the mystery of what a woman is and what a woman should be and the mystery of the female body misconceptions of how the female body works have had devastating effects on women’s lives, and still today misleading information and ideas

about female sexuality, virginity, menstruation and biology continue to be shared as fact.

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This issue features a mixture of works, from members of Strawberry Jam and outside contributors. Like FANS OF FEMINISMs exhibition we want this issue to consider the witch and other mythology and its effects on women, considering the mystery that seems to surround women and the female body.

See more of the collectives work and find out more about us at strawberryjamcollective.tumblr.com or send us a message at strawberryjamcollective@gmail.com

This Issues Contributors:

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STRAWBERRY JAM COLLECTIVE CONTRIBUTORSGiselle Noelle Morgan, Robyn Nichol, Jessica Heywood,Liv Thurley,Ellie Power,Corie Denby McGowan,Annabel Duggleby & Rosie Coffey.

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GUEST CONTRIBUTORSLaura Jayne, Joyce Polance, Caroline Halliday & Lizzie Masterton.

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CURATED AND EDITED BY- Annabel Duggleby, Corie Denby McGowan & Ellie Power.

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COVER- Laura Jayne.

Giselle Noelle Morgan

Corie Denby McGowan

 

Liv Thurley

 

And what, then, is to be thought of those witches who in this way sometimes collect male organs in great numbers, as many as twenty or thirty members together, and put them in a bird's nest, or shut them up in a box, where they move themselves like living members, and eat oats and corn, as has been seen by many and is a matter of common report? It is to be said that it is all done by devil's work and illusion, for the senses of those who see them are deluded in the way we have said. For a certain man tells that, when he had lost his member, he approached a known witch to ask her to restore it to him.

She told the afflicted man to climb a certain tree, and that he might take which he liked out of the nest in which there were several members. And when he tried to take a big one, the witch said: You must not take that one; adding, because it belongs to a parish priest.

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Ellie Power

Malleus Maleficarum Part 2, Chapter VII. How, as it were, they Deprive Man of his Virile Member.

Robyn Nichol

bone/wing

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for The Graeae

Caroline Halliday

This is the map’s edge, unknown,

the fine toothed bone,

the chart in the sea’s chest;

the last map, unwritten, unbuilt, trails on fine silt,

a rose pink tone, saxophone, jazz dance, chance,

the long moan, no rest.

This is the join at the map’s crack, page; rock rage;

truth’s eye on the plate, the slate’s edge.

On the skin, the line, hair thin; the shoulder bone, the spine;

the wire of throat, remote, woodnote; the flight, the span;

from feather to tip, the ache of wings,

bone sings

the rip of the swan. Warning.

Rosie Coffey

Ellie Power

Jessica Heywood

 

Annabel Duggleby

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Lizzie Masterton

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//What we have been up to:

ARTISTS JOINING USGiselle Noelle Morgan, Grant Bingham, Robyn Nicol, Rosie Coffey, Sandy Wang and Mel Thomas!

As we prepare for the year ahead we’ll let you in on a few things the Strawberry Jam Team have been up too:

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STRAWBERRY JAM @ HARTS LANEWe held our debut exhibition at Harts Lane Studios in New Cross featuring the work of six Strawberry Jam Collective members. Working with themes of identity and social constraint, each Artist explored the way we perceive ourselves and the ways in which we perceive others while particularly focussing in on Gender stereotypes.

PINKD PUBLICATIONBeautifully curated book by Aryana Hessami and Liv Thurley, exploring the use of the colour pink in the context of contemporary Art and society. The book was sold out online within two days and will now be available at selected books stores. Also includes work by our own Corie Denby McGowan.

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BITCHTOPIARobyn Nichol writes an article for Bitchtopia on her own practise, influences and talks honestly about teenage sexuality.

STRAWBERRY JAM MANIFESTO - We’ve written a manifesto of our beliefs, aims and objectives. If you want to know what we stand for, visit us online at strawberryjamcollectie.tumblr.com.

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NEW STRAWBERRY JAM HEADQUARTERSLooking forward to an exciting year ahead, we now benefit from having a small workspace and possible exhibition space and look forward to the endless possibilities this can form! Here’s to a thriving new year.

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PARALLEL MAGAZINE - Help us support upcoming feminist magazine Parallel! They are currently looking for help in getting the project off the ground… visit unashamedlyfeminist.tumblr.com for more information.

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WITCHHoused within ‘A side B side’ in Hackney, London, ‘Witch’ has been organised by FANS OF FEMINISM the exhibition opens on 14th November.

There will also be some amazing events around the exhibition, so look out for them!