An exploration of crafting and textile work as gendered art; DIY culture and practice; a reflection on subcultural style and music of the 1960s – 1980s; how girls and women fit themselves into male-dominated spaces; and the magical and mythological elements of music.
The title of this work comes from the trope of people, oftentimes men, asking younger, usually female, fans to "name three songs" of the band on their t-shirt. The band on these shirts are commercially popular and mass-produced logos (Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Metallica), but the question is often posed to so that they can prove themselves as a "real" fan. It is often asked from a place of wanting to belittle the recipient.
I personally was thinking about when I was 17-years-old and a male teacher asked me if I was wearing a Mötley Crüe shirt because I actually listened to them, or if I were like the girls at school who wore Metallica shirts to seem cool. And every other time I entertained a man who was so impressed by my taste in music.
This work was displayed in Mirage, a group exhibition, held at Epping Forest on March 17, 2023.
You can find the accompanying zine for this work here.
As displayed in Mirage, a group exhibition, held at Epping Forest on March 17, 2023