Cute aggression - have you heard of it? I’m sure you’ve seen people nibbling on babies toes, saying they could just gobble them up, or maybe wanting to squish that cute little puppy to death. Well, it’s a type of dimorphous expression: where outward expressions are contrary to internal feelings, like being so happy that you cry. The theory with this one is that rather than becoming completely overwhelmed by love or cuteness (rendering you paralysed and unable to carry out basic caring responsibilities) you regulate your emotions by expressing violence.
Thankfully most people who experience cute aggression don’t actually act on it.
Interestingly, some cultures have words to describe the concept: gigil in Filipino, gemas in Indonesian, geram in Malay and man kiao in Thai.
In Spain and some Latin American countries, it is generically referred to as cosa, e.g. "Ese gatito me da cosa" (literally "That kitten gives me the thing"), followed by pinching or clenching of teeth and biting down but joyful movement.
I went to see ‘Unruly Bodies’ in Goldsmiths CCA in its last week (sorry folks it’s over already) and I’d been thinking about all of the above when Camille Henrot hit me with this painting. What is it about wanting to put the cuteness in your mouth? Why does my older daughter want to lick the new baby? If you could just open up a bit wider and squeeze right in…? Intimately violent, beautiful and monstrous. And of course motherhood is all consuming. Birth is just the start of untangling from each other. Separation anxiety works both ways. It’s a constant exercise in letting go: allowing the child (or painting??) to be what they are without trying to control everything.
The mouth is surely the most personal of body parts. The only major bodily opening that we still have on show (disregarding the pandemic years of course). How much revolves around what comes in and out of it? I watch my children discover the world through their mouths, gumming and tasting, developing speech… vomiting. I’m sure I could write a thesis on this alone. Anyway, it reminded me of this show by Rachel Jones in Thaddaeus Ropac, called SMIIILLLLEEEE which I absolutely loved.
Mouth portal
to a sentient circle.
Into an interior deep
Working slow and small
The past three months have flown by whilst also being paradoxically sedate. It has been hard but gorgeous. My whole world reduced back down to my home and immediate surroundings - walking distance or a short bus ride. Similarly, any artistic output is made with tiny gestures. One armed sketches, left handed watercolour washes. Ten minutes here or there. Reading a chapter at 3am to keep me awake.
The resulting works are slow, small and intimate and I suppose they record a very specific time. I wonder how I’ll see them in a year, or five.
Catford Arts Weekender
In the spirit of celebrating my locale, this year I’m taking part in my local arts trail. The Catford Arts Weekender is happening on the 14th and 15th of October across a number of venues. I’ll be in the Talent Factory, 12 Barmeston Road SE6 3BH. You can find out more about it at catfordarts.org
Reading
Not gonna lie - I’m mostly doom scrolling Instagram. The one book I’ve finished is this: Living and Sustaining a Creative Life – Essays by 40 Working Artists by Sharon Louden. Each essay is short enough for after a night feed, when holding the baby upright to help her milk stay down. It’s about the many different ways that people make an art practice work for them, and a useful reminder that everyone has a totally different route through it.
Listening
Geography of Colour podcast by Ruth Philo
Listening to painters talk about colour is what I need right now.
Great read - liking how those watercolours look on my phone screen too 🤳😘
Absolutely beautiful, gobbled it up! Miss you xx