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Kristin Mitsu Shiga Shag Shaggy Chug P.O. Box 83191 Portland, OR 97283 tel: 503.329.2352 fax: 503.286.8679 Write to us 
E-mail
© Copyright 2001 Kristin Mitsu Shiga All Rights Reserved |
Observations, Hopes, and Responses
One of the most interesting observations I made through this project’s unique course of research was that many of the personal responses mirrored the clinical research from which I started. Facts I had read about self-esteem and its link to a woman’s relationship with her father matched up with the real stories I read. Notions of romantic relationships being influenced by dad found evidence in other stories. This correlation may appear to render my study redundant, but I feel somehow validated by it. It renewed my faith in the research that is currently available, and helped me understand the responses I got in a larger context.
Although I knew that the topic of Father-Daughter Relationships was a broad one, I did not anticipate how deeply immersed in it I would be at the end of my thesis year. I breathed this venture for almost a full year. At this point, I don’t feel that it is a finished project. The eight pieces of “made art” that I completed as part of my thesis represent only a tiny fragment of the monolith I hope to represent as I continue with this endeavor; this is just the beginning of something much bigger. At some point, I would like to continue this project with the same concept, but expand it to reach more women all over the world.
For the participants in this segment of the project, my part in their journey ended with a final mailing, giving them the address to this web site. Some have stayed in touch. I was even lucky enough to meet some of my participants at the thesis show. Whether or not we've met face-to-face, my hope is that the steps we’ve taken together are only the first in a continuing expedition of self-knowledge. At some point, I hope to publish an account of the project, with original stories and images as sent to me by these women. That will complete this leg of the journey for me.
No matter what route the project takes from here, I consider it a success. I have received enough letters from women thanking me for initiating this process for them, thanking me for listening, that I know my efforts were worthwhile. To my surprise, both my mother and my sister participated, and although my sister has yet to respond in any physical form, their participation has opened doors of communication that have, until now, been heavily barricaded.
With regard to my secondary goal of working with the suspension of outcome, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. Not only did I prove to myself, once and for all, that I can (and actually prefer to) create in this manner, I can now wholeheartedly defend the validity of this way of working. The final test for me in relinquishing control of the outcome is a struggle I imagine many artists face: allowing for what the viewer will bring to the piece. The responses to the work I have received so far indicate to me that every aspect of the project may not read exactly as I had intended. One such response is that the work is “overwhelmingly negative.” What I have come to realize is that the viewer imparts as much meaning to the piece as I, the maker. The most I can do is try to communicate as clearly as possible what was intended, then step back and let the finished work speak for itself.
On a personal note, I now feel the resolution to my father relationship to be as complete as it can be, thanks in part to the passage I‘ve taken with these women. When I made “Bend Your Fingers,“ I was so deeply steeped in my own issues that I could not see how my experience fit into a larger picture. I had self-doubt about the validity of my pain and blamed myself for its cause. The perspective I gained by receiving the gift of shared experience through the mail was what I needed to finally lay my issues to rest: to forgive my father, and myself.
Acknowledgements
This project is a collaboration in the truest sense, and could not exist without the support and input of more people than I can name on one written page. I would like to thank the following people who played important roles in the process:
Phil Harris, my Thesis Advisor and Supreme Voice of Reason, for always knowing whether I needed a pat on the hand or a kick in the butt. He brought my ideas into focus, and I consider it a work of providence that I found him as my advisor and friend.
Each member of my Thesis Committee:
Christine Clark, for sharing her wit and wisdom, not just this year, but throughout my time at OCAC. Her guiding voice has been ever-present, and the impact she’s had will follow me for years to come.
Lori Johnson, for her eloquent correspondence, openness and sensitivity above and beyond the call of duty. The words we shared have illuminated me beyond the confines of this project.
Steve Taylor, the only father on my committee, for his humor and enthusiasm since the inception of the project. His perspective has allowed me to see that this project has a life beyond academia.
My family, for standing by me while I poked my nose deep into the darker parts of our shared history. Special thanks to my mother, who, by participating whole-heartedly, explored depths of her own history that I had only suspected.
Tami Dean, my dearest friend and employer, who gave me the time I needed to submerse myself in this project this year, and the security to know that my space in her life and business are always safe.
Wade Wheeler, for his unmatched patience and generosity, and for creating a beautiful environment for the finished work.
Denise Smitherman, for lending her much-needed turning skills to the mix.
The women at the Bales Thriftway Branch of the United States Post Office, for their constant inquiries and good-natured harassment about how much of their space and time I occupied.
Most importantly, I want to thank all the women who responded to my call months ago, particularly the 187 who chose to take on the project as their own. There are no words to express the gratitude I feel for them letting me into their lives: every story they shared, every cent they spent on postage. It was more than I had ever hoped for.
Participants
The following is a list of 144 of the participants who returned affirmative response postcards. 43 additional women participated anonymously. Names are listed in random order. Not all participants contributed to (or to all parts of) the project.
Janet Ader, Naomi Hospodarsky, Monica Padden, Kari Albright, Emily Huffman, Lydia Pagett
Aisha Ayers, Jeanine Jablonski, Valerie Moreno, Debbra L. Palmer, Jennifer Barber, Lisa Jackson, Becky Patchett, Laurie Bickar Hilliard, Madeline Meza Janovec, Karen Patton, Joanna Bloom, Lynda Jenicek, Nell Pearce, Joanne Blossom, Lori Johnson, Deidre Pearce Weiland, Jennie Bradway, Avis Jones, Barbara Jade Pekkala, Michelle Browne, Massie Jones, Sydney Pener, Amy Buettner, Julie Kent, Hilary Pfeifer, Renee Burgess, Aimee Kligman, Sandra Preston, Barbara Burwell, Dennise Kowalczyk, Tania Preston, Diana Callaway, Pat Kreimeyer, R. Randolph Fischer, Gina Carrington, Steffany Kreimeyer, Kristin E. M. Riemer, Macy Chadwick, Anastacia Kurylo, Selene Robinowitz, Karen Christie, Aurora Kushner, Melanie Rosen, Christine Clark, Sara Kushner, Tina Rosen, Tritia Claver, Shava Lawson, Libby Rowe, Brandy Cochrane, Kathryn Legett, Ann T. Saavedra, Allyson Marie Cooper, Dani Leventhal, Siri Sophia Strom Schillios, Valerie Crispell, Andrea Lilienthal, Angela Schultz, Terri Cutz, Shirl Lipkin, Pati Scobey, Meaghan Delmonico, Mariko Locke, Bonnie Sherwood, Teke Dillender, Izabel Loinaz, Sarah Sherwood-Gerke, Kari Djuve, Heidi Hill Lowe, R. Carin Shiga, Jennifer Dowling, Melinda Luethe, Megan Shull Baird, Wendy Dunk, Karen Lynn, Joanne Sikorski, Amy Erickson, Ewa Macieracowska, Lisa Sikorski, Kressa Evans, Lola Madrone Broomberg, Cheryl Sikorski Meyers, Debra Fabrizzi, Molly Major, Michele Sileo, Molly Ferguson, Sue Mak, Bridget E. Smith, Felisa Finn, Sandra Marchese, Norma Sorby, Olivia Flasdick, Ariana Marinelli, Wendy Statham, Marianna Foos, Elizabeth Marino, Michele Stauff, Laura Fox, Elizabeth A. Mayer, Karen Steichen Graves, Romni Fox-Anderson, Deirdre M. McAleer, Amy Stephens, Joy Franklin, Tara McAuliff, Amy Tavern, Courtney Frisse, Mary McKinney, Valeta Vancza, Joy Gates, Jean McWilliams, Layla Weborn, Carol Greiwe, Meghan Murphy, Katie Weinstein, Lee Rumsey Haga, Elura Nanos, Heather Welsh, Faith Hagenhofer, Amanda Neeley, Pat Wheeler, Peggy Harkins, Georgiana Nehl, Namita Wiggers, Allison Hendricks, Harriet NewDelman, Virginia Wissusik, April Herminghouse, Kim NewDelman, Lorraine Woodward, Megan Elizabeth Herrman, Lisa Onstad, Judith Yahna, Amy Hoffman, Leeann Ortegon, Marilyn Zornado, Jocelyn Holloway, Xzandrya Owen
Bibliography
Anderson, Christopher P. Father: The Figure & The Force. New York. Warner Books, 1983.
Carlson, Randy. Father Memories: How to Discover the Unique, Powerful and Lasting Impact Your Father Has On Your Adult Life & Relationships. Chicago. Moody Press, 1992.
Cath, Stanley/Gurwitt, Alan/Ross, John. Father & Child: Developmental and Clinical Perspectives. Boston. Little, Brown, 1982.
Cook, Mariana Ruth. Fathers and Daughters: In Their Own Words. San Francisco. Chronicle Books, 1994.
DeWitt, Henry. Fathering Daughters: Reflections by Men. Boston. Beacon Press, 1998
Erickson, PhD., Beth M. Longing For Dad: Father Loss & Its Impact. Deerfield Beach, FL. Health Communications, Inc., 1998.
Fields, Suzanne. Like Father, Like Daughter - How Father Shapes the Woman His Daughter Becomes. Boston. Little, Brown, 1983.
Hammer, Signe. Passionate Attachments: Fathers and Daughters in America Today. New York. Rawson Associates, 1982.
Lewis Herman, Judith. Father-Daughter Incest. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press, 1981.
Maine, Margo. Father Hunger: Fathers, Daughters and Food. Carlsbad, CA. Gurze Books, 1991.
Marsiglio, William. Fatherhood: Contemporary Theory, Research and Social Policy. Thousand Oaks. Sage Publications, 1995.
Morgan, Jill. Fathers & Daughters: A Celebration in Memoirs, Stories and Photographs. New York. Signet Books, 1999.
Myers Drew, PhD., Jane. Where Were You When I Needed You, Dad? A Guide For Healing Your Father Wound. Newport Beach, CA. Tiger Lily Publishing, 1989.
Pruett, Kyle. Fatherneed: Why Father Care is as Important as Mother Care for Your Child. New York. Free Press, 2000.
Schierse Leonard, Linda. The Wounded Woman: Healing the Father-Daughter Relationship. Athens, OH. Swallow Press, 1982.
Secunda, Victoria. Women & Their Fathers: The Sexual and Romantic Impact of the First Man in Your Life. New York. Delacorte Press, 1992.
Stampfer, Judah. Fathers and Children. New York. Schocken Books, 1983.
Van Maanen, John. Tales of the Field - On Writing Ethnography. Chicago, IL. University of Chicago Press, 1988.
Wakerman, Elyce. Father Loss: Daughters Discuss the Man That Got Away. New York. Holt, 1987.
Ward, Elizabeth. Father-Daughter Rape. New York. Grove Press, 1985.
Wright, H. Norman. Always Daddy’s Girl: Understanding Your Father’s Impact on Who You Are. Ventura, CA. Regal Books, 1989.
Images of Installed Work
Hoffman Gallery, Portland, Oregon
May, 2001
This album contained all the mailings that were sent out, and the photos that were sent in by participants. It was like a family album (for those who did not indicate that they wanted anonymity).
All photos taken of installation courtesy of Phil Harris.
