This article was useful in further understanding Legacy Russell by listening to her discuss the Glitch Feminism manifesto on a more personal level, making comparisons and reflections that I had not previously thought about. The tone of this article seems to be more casual, and Legacy opens up to discuss more of what brought her to this place of publishing and the reasons behind her words. I think she has done an excellent job of speaking towards what she believes in and why, while also continuing to admire other artists and creators who she had mentioned in the manifesto.
It is interesting that the project was started in 2012, many years prior to when it was released. Legacy talks on the transformation of what the piece turned into over these years, and the article even goes on to discuss how it can relate to the current pandemic and how our world has changed since then. The connection to the “essential worker” was something I found interesting. She goes on to further discuss the anti-body, raising questions of who is and who is not visible. During these times so much attention has been brought to the frontline workers, specifically people working in healthcare and service. The interesting thing that Russell bring up is that these individuals have always been there, but just haven’t been seen. One quote that was powerful to me: “And those are individuals who are rendered invisible by the broader systems of capitalism and economy that exist in America and the world today” (Davis, 10). She points out the Black and Brown people who have contributed to society for decades, and received little to no credit, nor even just knowledge of existence.
Another part I enjoyed while reading this review of Legacy’s piece is the idea of the purpose and narrative of the internet. The concepts of isolation vs connection, accountability or lack thereof. When using the internet people have the ability to “exploit different identities” (Davis, 7) and remain hidden behind a screen. Yet, at the same time the internet is a place where people can be held accountable for their actions, for example Legacy mentions the #MeToo movement and how that was able to take off through social media and other platforms on the internet. The contrast between different ways that people use the internet is explored and makes me think about what I am using the internet for. There are times where I will look something up that may be a private matter, or something I would not want others to see. On the contrary, I find a lot of my time on the internet spent using social media, which is highly exposing in a sense that I am sharing with my followers more personal aspects of my life.
Finally, it was nice to see that Legacy received appreciation and feedback for her work. As a creator, it is always very rewarding to know that your work has resonated with people, especially during these times of such uncertainty and difficulty across the world.
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/legacy-russell-glitch-feminism-a-manifesto-1910221