Have You Heard of Artemisia?
by Cushla Parekowhai, Allie Eagle & Heather McPherson
Allie Eagle and Cushla Parekowhai met as lecturers at the Manukau Institute of Technology; they still teach together sometimes. They also collaborate as storytellers: Cushla is the model-with-agency and Allie the artist-with-agency. Their texts resisted appearance as screenshots.
Allie Eagle: How
did it go
yesterday
Cush?
Received:02:33:53pm
18–02–2016
From: Allie Eagle +64**********
Me: Gd I think
Mde thm wrk tho
– gt well underway
&n2 session
ahed of tme
Louise
is vry compatible
were abl 2collabor8
str8 off the bat
Qte diff vibe
2 A Eagle avec moi
bt studnts themselves
recognised
influence of yr teaching
Sum resistance
2intro ‘swift’ contour
drawing exercises
particularly
when tme frame
was shortend2
<20 sec per view
Plan 2concentr8
on drawing
nxt wk as well
– consolid8n of skill base
useful discipline 4all
@ths stage
Bn asked 2write
sumthn 4Marians
Spiral retrospectve projct
Wnt to 2do
a piece around
the drawing
u did of me
N10did as a gift
4Heathr
bt I’ll talk 2u
abt tht L8r
OK u shd
go bck 2
‘retreating’
& relax.
U deserve it
xcush
Sent: 03:09:34pm
18–02–2016
Delivery details
unavailable
Allie Eagle +64**********
Allie Eagle: Oh
actually
I was in hospital
again
with a.f.
which I hope
has righted
on its own.
My drawing for Heather:
hmm the title
didn’t please me
as it is an old difference
between us
and it wd be not so likely
I’d call it that.
We might rework that
eh, Cush?
When does Marian
want your writing by?
Glad class worked
well
Living Wisdom
is very rigourous
by no means
a retreat.
More like an advance.
Big hug
AExx
Received:03:34:57pm
18–02–2016
From: Allie Eagle +64*********
Me: Crikey
didn’t realize
u ws n horse-pital!
All th more reason
4u
2relax
& nt worry
abt class
Re:Heathr’s pic
i wll do th writng 1st
thn show it 2u
– my idea is
more abt ME
as opposed
2u &me
Wht i’m considering
Is hw 2talk abt
wht Spiral meant
4my gener8n
& those nt directly
involvd
n th collectve
bt I wll discuss
wht I cme up wth
whn u gt bck
i like th idea of yr pic
mde now
speaking of a time
whn baby Cush
ws being influenced
by th wrk of feminists
like Heathr
bt only knew
of thm in bks
No deadline as such
bt soonr th bettr
4Marian’s purpose
methinks
Gt well
Kia kaha
xcush
Sent: 04:03:14pm
18–02–2016
Delivery details: unavailable
Allie Eagle +64*********
Allie Eagle: Yes
that’s all Gud
just remember
the title
we put on the pic
was not one
I was
happy w.
It came out of the bag
suddenly
and I
wrote it on
as per
your impulse
but really
it brings up
a lot of dissonance
for me
and I
would rather have
had a 2nd
go at it
with the time
to look
at options
Received:07:23:22am
19–02–2016
From: Allie Eagle +64**********
Me: Ata Mari-e! Allie
i remembr
hw it ws 4u
& wd like 2undrstnd
th issues more
Hwevr wht i wnt
2write abt
is th fact tht
th only
lines of Heathr’s
poetry/wrk
i cd quote
or access
ws th title of th poem
in th Womens Picture Bk
i rememberd it
only becos
it lookd like 1of those
hand drawn recipes
found in 70s Hippy cookbooks
wth loads of chickpeas & illustr8ns
in th margins
That’s ALL I cd do
4Heathr
& only becos
th Divine Ms Marian Evans
hd shown it 2me as a 20sumthng
with publication of
The Womens Picture Bk
i did nt engage
wth th content
of th poem
in any way
Stroppy Maori girls
like me
hd no interest in Pakeha
goddesses
witches & warrior princesses
we had
our own
& they were alive &meaningful
4us
qte diffrntly
Altho
i did nt identify
wth Artemis th huntress
i did identify
with Artemisia the Grl paintr
in her Dad’s shop
surrounded
by needy boys
Thts my idea in txt!
xcush
Sent: 07:42:59am
19–02–2016
Delivery details unavailable
Allie Eagle +64**********
Allie Eagle: I see
Artemisia,
that Heather
is talking about in her poem
was the Greek
goddess Artemis
but I am happier
if you reference
the Gentileschi,
Artemisia.
Since the title
goes on
my drawing…
Mmm.
Oh well
carry on
regardless!
Received: 09:46:39pm
19–02–2016
From: Allie Eagle +64**********
