Street Name: THE PINK NUN

Country: USA

Home town: Lake Worth, FL (formerly Chicago, IL)

Years your art has been up on the streets: 5 YEARS.

your contact info email info and the URL for your website/fotolog/flickr/blog/whatever. WWW.PINKNUN.COM, [email protected]

(in my search for street artist girls.. i discovered there were far fewer female streetartist than i had initially though.. i thought i could catalog.. 100 or so.. i found 40. (with help from many people.) why?

As far as graffiti artists, i have only met male graffiti/tag artists. As far as doing some more progressive social commentary posters, stickers, stenciling and such. i have mostly met girls doing this... However, it was during a class at the School of the art institute of chicago. This class was called "propaganda and decoration" which combined screenprinting with public art projects. The class was almost all girls (possibly because it was in the "fibers" department, a word which still tends to scare off many guys). I don't know that these girls kept it up much past the class. My favorite person in the class was a girl from korea that did "Asian Man tuna" stickers (spoofs of another brand's labels) and installed them on the cans in the store.

why aren't girls getting out there?

i have seen girls getting out there, and doing more interesting things than guys, but i think many girls, unfortunately are still caught up in the stereotypical game of primping and trying to attract guys as their main hobby. Also, some who are more artistic, are possibly more of the "nice" type than guys and are afraid to break the law with street art, get caught, or have misdemeanors on their record. I know that the first time i installed subway posters that i had created, i was totally scared to put them up. I made a couple hundred of them, and put up like 5, because i was scared of getting caught, and doing time as a "graffiti" artist. Since graffiti is highly frowned upon in Chicago, and they are raising the penalties, it can be scarey, especially since a criminal record could hinder getting hired for a professor jobs (which i have been applying for)...But on the other hand, you want to say, Who cares? i don't want to be limited . Many graffiti artists could do more jail time, or have bigger penalties than a drunk driving first offense. This is totally wrong. It just goes hand in hand with the lack of support of the arts in general, and street art not being considered worthy art.

3b) Do you think public art that conveys social messages such as yours elevate public perception of streetart?

It's hard for me to be objective and figure that one out. In general, it seems like people don't respect it unless they are open-minded creative individuals themselves because i see people throw away my postcards and things way too often, but than again that might be because they are offended by my particular social message or imagery. It's possible that some people might pay more attention to street art that makes a strong point more than street art that is purely visual or jusf for fun. Personally, I do enjoy seeing all street art in general, and appreciate that someone was gutsy and creative enough to do it, but I think I remember the provocative ones that have the power of the messages.

4) Do you see your message of sexual purity as a way of empowering women?

First, I want to be sure you know that the message is not just for women, not just about sexual purity or abstinence, and is about self confidence, self control, body image, and healthy decision-making. Initially, I did start making my art specifically for women,but so man guys were into it, i had to change the direction and the voice of it. But it is easier to direct it to women, and it is definitely largely about empowering women....(and men). I try to create straight forward imagery and text in order to speak with a strong voice from a woman's perspective. Women need to be stronger, outspoken, know themselves enough to know what they want, not be bashful, and especially not be victims. A lot of feminists today want to believe that we are past the victim mentality, but look at the focus of the shows on cable TV--Plastic surgery, sexy housewives, empty airheaded blondes,trying to snatch the bachelor, etc. Look at the covers of girl magazines, and try and find a heading that isn't about "How to look better for that man", or "How to be better in bed." When women are still heavily competing for the attention of men, spending the majority of their time shopping, doing their hair and makeup, starving themselves, and reading girly magazines---not for themselves---but to be the perfect BAIT for guys---than this is a different kind of victimization, self obsession and narcissism, playing the Vanity game. Unfortunately, when women are caught up in trying to impress their dates, and don't have a strong voice, they don't feel like they are able to make choices sexually, and follow the lead of their date, who is vocally stronger and able to talk her into, or coerce her into doing things. She feels like she needs to be a sexual vixen in order to be accepted, or loved. Even when women are sexually taken advantage of, they often do not feel like they have the right to report the guy, but instead blame themselves. Women need to know what they want for themselves in order to have healthy decision-making. We should feel strong enough to beautify our natural gifts and talents, not just the exterior, so that they we something to contribute to others and something to achieve for OURselves. A woman that is strong on the inside is much more attractive than an insecure, clingy barbie. Have you ever met the women that you admire because you see their confidence, and men are intimidated by them?

5) Is your motivation for your work religious/spiritual?

I wouldn't call it religiousity, but a matter of faith, moral responsibility, and social consciousness. I can't get around that my worldview stems from my childhood education learning about Christianity and the teachings of Jesus. Because these moral guidelines make so much sense to me, I can't help but look through a Christian-filtered lens at the world around me and the decision-making of others. If i observed my friends being hurt in relationships because of insecurity and bad choices, I could later look back and understand that the more we try to make ourselves the center of the universe, and try to rely on our own human effort to live, and the less we rely on God, and depart from Biblical principles, the more we hurt ourselves. For example, why would we want to listen to people in churches, who we might even find hypocritical at times, that would say it's better not to have sex until marriage? Because if we follow this guideline, even though it may seem restrictive, we are not going to end up with a lot other concerns that we didn't need to worry about before-like pregnancy, STDs, added insecurity, etc. and instead you will be more likely to end up with someone that has stronger character and loyalty and that hasn't placed your body as the most important part of the relationship.

6) Besides obvious benefits such as avoiding STDs and undesired pregnancy, are there other benefits to sexual abstinence?

It seems like common sense, but people can forget the reasons. By the time you are already having sex, it's hard to slow down and pull away from the situation enough to remember why you might have been hesitant before your first time. -You will have better self esteem. There are statistics that link the increase in depression among young people with sexual activity. It is REALLY hard to seperate your view of yourself from the way someone you've been that intimate with feels about you. So if they dump you, than the average girl instantly thinks, what's wrong with me? Am i not good enough in bed? Am i not pretty enough? -You can prove to yourself that the attention you get is not about your body. -Relationships are actually a lot easier and less complicated without sexual intimacy. -You can be more objective about your dates and figure out if they are good as friends and good to be around when physical intimacy is not interfering. -Sex is a COMPLETELY differant, and more SACRED thing with someone who has vowed to be with you for life than with someone who is comparing you to whoever they've been with last and thinks of you as only temporary. -Sex is not supposed to be entertainment, or something to use as barter attract a date. It's not supposed to create your self-worth. -With abstinence you have more time to develop other talents that will last longer than physical youth. Single people who are not in relationships can potentially get so many things done, and do things like get their masters degree easier. Personally, I don't think i would have gone to grad school if i'd met my husband 5 years earlier.

7) What about people who have already had sex?

All these benefits still apply. Deciding to stop being sexually active is a whole new kind of alternative lifestyle, and way of making a statement. It is having CONTROL over your own body. Your focus on life can change. I have had people who see my website write to me and tell me they have been as promiscuous as you can get, and they decided it is empty, and they at least need a break, if not a halt until lifelong partnership. A lot of people started being intimate when they were young, and not strong-willed enough to know what they really wanted in the moment. Now is the time to change the course of the rest of life. No matter what the sexual history of a person is, they are not trapped by it- they can change their mind and their actions if they have enough confidence in themselves to have the self control. Just look at Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, who learned the teachings of Buddhism and has been abstinent for over 2 years, and is deciding to continue it. He used to sing about switching the various girls in his bed, and now he sings his self control and repents for being so self centered. Some people call this new abstinence "secondary virginity" or "born again virgins." These can seem a little comical, but there is good symbolism in that wording. It is harder for people to drastically change a path unless they have a faith behind it, as well as the faith based community of friends to help support and encourage them, so they don't feel all alone.

8) Do you have any plans for new projects coming up?

I'd really like to do more stencilling, and maybe screenprint some posters. I'd first like to produce more of my "You are not fast food" stencil and get it around it Miami. I'd like to take my stickers and start putting them on cool cars (where they might actually stay). I get plenty of ideas, and not enough time to do them. After all, I am now married and sexually active. ; )

They would like to know about other street artists...Go to Peel Magazine to see more from them.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws