Connor McGaffin – Looking Outwards – 10

I looked at Angela Washko’s interactive work titled “All The Places You’ll Go”, where she begins to use postcards as found artifacts to unravel the use of women as a representation of place in the lens of the male gaze. I initially gravitated towards this project for its aesthetic appeal, and continued onward into it out of my predisposed interest in postcards as graphic artifacts.

Diving into the project was eye opening in presenting me with the images in a sterile context, where I could think critically about the content of the postcard and compare it directly to prints with the same objective.

In some images, we see the female figure being used to sell the idea of a location’s beauty. This is seen in a more contemporary example (above) and even in a more conservative context (below).

 

I really admire Washko’s ability to create such a unique emotional reaction without it feeling implicitly prescribed. Everybody who interacts with the piece will have a different interpretation and connection (or lack thereof) to each postcard based upon their life experiences and travels. However, the curation of the postcards unifies these reactions to encourage viewers to think critically upon the social implications that these small artifacts are manifestations of, and if they reflect the value systems of viewers.

In an overview of her practice as a whole, Washko works to give platform to conversations about gender and feminism in places where it does not readily exist. These environments have included formal settings such as the Museum of the Moving Image and more uncharted territory such as her performance art within World of Warcraft servers.

Angela Washko earned a BFA in Painting/Drawing/Sculpture at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. She continued her education at UCSD where she went on to earn her MFA. Angela Washko is an assistant professor of art right here at Carnegie Mellon University.

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