Just out., April 19, 2002, Page 37, Image 37

apri 19.2002»
PEOPLE
S
eda Rhodes has always defined herself as
an artist.
She was passionate about art, even as a
kid, always with the goal of using that
creativity for political statements. Growing up
in Ithaca, N.Y., she attended the public Alter­
native Community School, which, she says,
helped shape her liberal viewpoints. "I learned
history from the perspective of the oppressed
rather than the oppressor."
Then “1 made the mistake of going to art
school,” the Eugene lesbian says. “Everyone
was focused on abstract art with no substance,
and it was about talking and giving the best
critique.” She wasn’t given any real opportuni­
ty to draw, she notes, “which had been my
main art form for a long time.”
Dropping out of that misguided attempt at
college in 1994, Rhodes road-tripped through
almost every state for two years before arriving
in Oregon, where, the 29-year-old says, “I was
overwhelmed with the sense of home.”
The artist started a clothes-making business
called Wudu Maer. “It was amazing,” she smiles.
“People in the community really liked my stuff.”
She sold the “beautiful yet utilitarian” gar­
ments at Eugenes Saturday*Market for six years,
until a serious car accident in September 2000 left
her unable to work. The ongoing recovery
process, though, has opened up a new world of
time to commit to other kinds of art and activism.
Sept. 11 was further impetus. After the
injury, Rhodes explains, “everything had been
falling into place. 1 was available to do other
things. 1 was prepared. 1 had been living on lit­
tle money. I became vegan. I was biking
instead of using a car. Time became more
important than money. After Sept. 11,1 just
immediately started being active.”
She began attending events sponsored by
Justice Not War, an outreach of Eugene Peace
• Works, and is the only out queer participant.
Community found
Rhodes’ success as co-facilitator of the Young
and Old Women Circle, intergenerational femi­
nist discussions held at Mother Kali’s Books. “I
have seen some incredible connections being
made between women.... It feels like a subver­
sive thing to be doing. We are trained to think
that we separate and have nothing in common.”
Artist and activist Seda Rhodes
found community by making it
by
S usan D etroy and L isa B radshaw
R
“ You want guns and dildos; I’ll give you guns and dildos”
— Rhodes’ response to a controversial Eugene Weekly editorial
During this time, she also helped form a
women’s action group focused on feminist issues.
In November, members spearheaded the
protest and teach-in at Eugene Weekly in
response to an editorial comparing Eugene’s
pom shops and gun stores. The title on the
newspaper’s cover— “Guns and Dildos”— sent
Rhodes over the edge. She followed the drama,
she says, “for weeks in frustration and disgust.”
Ultimately, she responded with her dual
saviors: activism and art. She created her own
“Guns and Dildos” cartoon to communicate
how she felt and got busy helping organize the
Against Patriarchy Conference held in Febru­
ary at University of Oregon.
Having been dissatisfied with last
year’s gathering, Rhodes says, “I knew I
couldn’t sit around and complain about it
not being what I wanted if I wasn’t getting
involved.” Along with four queer friends,
she helped the conference reflect what she
did want: more discussion around oppres­
sion within the feminist community.
“Just because people are activists,
anarchists, feminists...doesn’t mean that
they have dealt with all their internal­
ized oppression or how they oppress oth­
ers,” she says. “Seems that there is even
less space to call people on their sexism
and racism in the activist community."
Rhodes’ viewpoint about the capitalist
hierarchy of oppressions—such as class,
gender, sexuality and race— includes
understanding that we are subject to multiple and
disparate oppressions that interfere with our com­
mon connections, keeping us from understanding
one another fully. “I see that all our oppressions
are a product of the same system, and 1 am look­
ing more at how they fit together.”
She feels her work has definitely paid off. “1
had so many people coming up to me [saying] how
much better it was than last year, what a positive
change it was.. .our extremely queer and gender-
queer group.. .and
hodes’ four-member household works as a
collective politically and with creative proj­
ects. “We are all sort of crafty,” she remarks
ds she describes “Byketrash,” jewelry and rubber
products made from recycled bicycle parts— the
brainchild of roommate Ami Puri.
Rhodes proudly labels her first piece “a
schoolgrrl skirt made entirely from bicycle
inner tubes.” The recyclers will have a booth at
Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival this year.
The household identifies as a queer sepa­
ratist home. “It is not about the people you are
excluding,” Rhodes explains. “It is about the
people you are choosing to surround yourself
with, where you want to put your energy.”
She also sees her housemates as her family.
“We challenge each other. We call each other
on our stuff, push each other in different ways,
help each other grow, encourage each other
creatively. It is a really positive environment.”
The household is also behind the monthly
Queer Night at Out of the Fog Coffee House,
which started last fall. “The response was just
amazing,” Rhodes remarks. “From the very first
one the place was packed.... People are starved
for something to do and a place to get together.”
The evening now includes a regular open
mike drag performance, which people are lin­
ing up for. After a stint away from drawing,
Rhodes is creating all the promotional posters
and cartoons for the event.
But the artistically diverse young woman is
perhaps best known in Eugene for her provoca­
tive photography of lesbians and the trans
community. She eventually wants to create a
community darkroom space.
During her recent show at Out of the Fog,
Rhodes’ friend and co-activist Eva D. sat and
observed reactions to the exhibit. “I watched
them as their minds expanded and their con­
sciousness was raised around gender fluidity,”
she exclaims, noting this experience actually
made her feel empowered.
Now having lived in Eugene for seven years,
Rhodes says she is finally feeling her world com­
ing together.- “It is ironic,” she muses. “I had
been planning on moving from Eugene to Port­
land.. .after years of living here and feeling no
sense of community, suddenly it is becoming
cohesive.... It is such a different feeling.” J H
To commission SED A R H O D ES for an art project,
e-mail seda_rhodes@hotmail.com.
Private one-on-one
consultation
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