Unapologetically Angry: A Rage Becomes Her Retrospective

The first notes of Hole’s full-throated, snarling anthem “Violet” blares over the speakers as I lean in closer to the wall to examine a colostomy bag filled with nails. My date and I don’t speak very much; instead, we’re both trying to process, internalize, and reflect on the art and vulnerability before us. “Rage Becomes Her” deserves nothing less. As a show centered on the patriarchal oppression and subsequent anger that non-male people experience, I wanted to give myself space to commune with the art and to feel the exhibit, rather than try to over-intellectualize it. Afterwards, though, I found myself wanting to ask the curators (Hannah Hendricks and Chrysta Avers) some questions about the meaning and ideas behind the show, so that’s exactly what I did. For their insight on the state of the world and non-male rage, keep reading!

How did “Rage Becomes Her” come about? What inspired y’all to want to put on this show?

Hannah Hendricks: “Rage Becomes Her” was an idea I came up with back in 2018 during an extremely traumatic time period of my life. The idea initially came to me because, despite being surrounded by people who were gaslighting and invalidating my feelings, I knew I wasn’t the only person who felt this way. You can actually see the theme of rage a lot in my own artwork from that time period as well. The idea stuck with me for awhile, but due to the pandemic, the idea got put on hold. When the year started however, I was really set on making this show happen. Around the time that I started thinking of artists to invite, Chrysta and I worked on another big art show “Oh, Baby!” at the Bakery. I approached her with the idea after that show and it just kind of took off from there. Both of us had always wanted to curate a show centering around female rage so it just kind of worked out. At the time the overturning of Roe V Wade hadn’t happened yet. We just wanted to put something together that we knew other people could relate to.

Chrysta Avers: This was an idea that Hannah had for a long time and she asked me to co-curate the show with her. I was thrilled by the theme and excited to hop on this project!

Kind of going along with this, what makes you angry/fills you with rage?

H: A lot of things…The general state of the world, being talked down to, inexcusable rudeness, the fact outfits don’t always look as good on as they do in my head, the list could go on…

C: There’s a laundry list of things that make me angry, but to name a few: I’m angry that my reproductive freedom is being policed by the government. I’m angry that it’s not uncommon that nearly all of my femme friends have been emotionally, sexually, and/or physically abused. I’m angry about the number of times my loved ones and I have been made to feel unsafe by predatory men. I'm angry that I always have to be cautious about how I show affection to my girlfriend in public. I’m angry that I can’t afford therapy to deal with all of the trauma the world throws at me.  

Were there any pieces that really stood out to you, or that you resonated with?

H: This one’s hard! All of the pieces in the show struck a chord with me even if I couldn’t fully empathize with the message behind it. We had such a large body of work that showcased so much raw talent that it almost feels unfair to pick a few. I do think for me however, “Run Fast, Comrade, the Old World is Right Behind You” by Jordan Kady really resonated.

C: We were thrilled to have so many incredible pieces in the show that it’s hard to choose one! However, I was immediately struck the first time I saw “Bans Off My Body” by Adrienne Berkland. The piece is beautifully executed and explores the rage Berkland feels about having her reproductive rights taken away by the government. It’s a feeling that I believe many of us can relate to. 

What was the actual curation process like? A lot of these pieces are very personal and intimate, how did y’all deal with the delicacy of the submissions?
H: We put out an open call for art about a month in advance so that we’d have time to review all the submissions - at the time I had no idea it would blow up the way it did. We had so many amazing pieces. Unfortunately, the space has its size limitations and we couldn’t accept everything, but we were mindful of how vulnerable some of the pieces were. We wanted all the artists that submitted to know that our decisions were not made lightly - I don’t think the curation process was easy at all and we really took our time with putting this show together. 

C: Hannah and I put out an open call for art and reviewed all of the submissions the night after the form closed. We were delighted and blown away by how many submissions we received. That however meant we needed to be realistic about how many pieces we accepted. While choosing work we made it a point to accept a variety of mediums, work that explored different themes, and art that we were just genuinely impressed by. We had to turn down a lot of art that was either too big for the space or we felt did not quite fit the theme. That’s always the hardest, but most necessary, part about curating a show. We always like to thank people for taking the time to apply and let them know that we don’t have the capacity to accept all of the work we receive because we know it takes a good bit of time and courage to put yourself out there. 

In your opinion, what purpose does art serve in a post-Roe America?
H: Art serves the same purpose in a post-Roe America as it does through every major historical event in history. It’s important, it's relevant, it sparks community and revolution. It’s a way to give yourself a voice when you feel powerless in society. There’s a reason that, historically, artists were always targeted and silenced during major political events. What really struck me about “Rage” is that most of the artwork submitted was created before the overturning of Roe v Wade - it was a culmination of years of heavy emotions, which is one reason I think it was such an impactful event. 

C: Artists have always been at the forefront of exploring difficult systematic injustices and there’s no exception to that right now. Whether it’s a striking painting or a gut-wrenching essay, art has the power to leave a lasting impression on folks who may not personally have to worry about their bodies being policed. Unfortunately, when things do not personally affect us, we are less likely to put much thought into them. When you come to an art show like “Rage Becomes Her”, you can’t avoid the pain people are feeling and expressing in their work due to the overturning of Roe v Wade. We were able to raise nearly $700 via donations and donated half of this to Yellow Hammer Fund, a reproductive freedom organization that services the deep south. Through art and the generosity of our community, we were able to give directly back to the folks who need it most.

There’s been a lot of talk about bodies (particularly AFAB ones) recently. How can we use art to create safe spaces for AFAB bodies?
H: AFAB individuals have always used art as a way to express emotions and feelings they’ve been shamed for verbalizing. Given this, I think a rise in art-related groups outside of just shows - cohorts, groups that meet up, collectives, etc are a great place to start in creating these art-based safe spaces. I’d personally like to see a rise in this in the Atlanta art scene.

C: I think art and shows that center AFAB and trans bodies are healing for a lot of folks because so many of us can, unfortunately, relate to not feeling safe and respected in our bodies. There is a certain comfort that comes when you surround yourself with other people who make art about experiences similar to your own. When people with similar experiences come together to share art, you form community and friendships. There is strength in numbers and when you have a support system it is much easier to hold folks accountable when needed and to raise each other up. 

How do we, as AFAB people, keep going in the face of all of this anger? What would you recommend to anyone who leaves this show enraged?

H: Hold on to that feeling. Think back on it when you’re faced with injustices, personal or not. Use it as a tool to move forward, whether it’s by educating yourself or by building a community with others to share validation. Rage is not an emotion to be feared or kept hidden, it’s a very real human emotion that we will all feel at some point in our lives. Yes, it can sometimes be harmful, but if “Rage Becomes Her” has shown me anything, it’s that it can also be healing. 

C: I couldn’t agree more. 

How did you incorporate intersectionality into this exhibit?

H: The idea from the start was that this show was not limited to just AFAB individuals. We wanted everyone’s voice to be heard.

C: As Hannah said, this exhibition was always meant to showcase the various personal and systematic experiences of women, trans folks, gender non-conforming folks, and people of color. I think in general, having an open call for art is a pretty accessible way to get a diverse crowd to apply, and that was true in this case. 

What did you learn from putting on this show? Is there anything you want to implement or change going forward?
H: I’ve curated a good amount of art shows at this point, and in doing so you learn that sometimes there are problems that are completely outside of your control. That being said, some ideas we had for the next iteration are to have clearer hanging instructions and to have better communication with our volunteers. I want “Rage” to be even bigger and better in the future, so I know there are going to be more bumps to work out. 

C: We spent a lot of time putting wires on pieces that were not fully ready to hang, so next time we will definitely be more specific with hanging requirements. I think Hannah and I are both huge go-getters so while we managed to do nearly all of the setup by ourselves with the brief help of a few volunteers, we definitely could have benefitted with some additional help. 

Anything else you want to add?
H: This show meant alot to me personally - seeing it get such an amazing response really helped heal a part of me, and I’m so glad so many other individuals felt the same way. There are deep wounds in our community, and having these chances to heal together is so incredibly important. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us and if you’re bummed out that you weren’t able to submit to this one…..there’s always next year ;)

C: I’m very grateful to everyone who helped make this event a reality and I’m proud of Hannah and I for pulling off something on this big of a scale. This show was truly so dear to us and we are genuinely so grateful for the incredible turnout. Thank you to all of the artists for displaying their amazing work, to our fantastic vendors, and our talented performers. We truly couldn’t have done it without y’all! 

A huge thank you to Hannah and Chrysta for answering all of my questions and for putting on such a phenomenal, deeply necessary exhibit!

And thank you, dear reader, for reading and for supporting your local DIY art gallery! Stay punk!