Interview With A Housewife

With only 4 days remaining before the opening reception for 'The Kitchen Goddess' exhibit, we sit down for just a brief moment to see just what this is all about.  I mean honestly, if we're going to drive all the way over to Bihl Haus Arts, we want to know what we're in for over there.  Thankfully, our busy housewife had just enough time for a small cup of tea before rushing off again. 

Whats this all about? 
- (laughter).  Its about tedium, darling.  Welcome to my home.  Look how much time I spent on this ... on everything.  It took me months and months to do this, and its still just ever so slightly off-kilter.  Some things will never be finished. Just as soon as I'm done ironing, I've got to turn around and start over again!  I slave over things to make them just right, but there's always room for more improvement.  But thats ok, because its a housewife's job to make sure we keep trying, keep working.

Working on ...?
- Well, everything of course.  What would the neighbors say if I just stopped keeping up?  My wonderful strong husband just gave me permission for the new kitchen layout and I want to make sure its absolutely perfect.  Thats very important.  Organization is very important.

Why does your kitchen make me feel like I'm in a Dr. Suess book? Whats with all these colors?
- (titter) Oh isn't it lovely?  I can't believe how much of an improvement it is over that dreadful old white Fridgidaire we had five years ago and that stupid rusty Maytag that didn't go with anything.  Everything matches.  Its just like being in The Wizard of Oz, with all these new and exciting colors.  I just get so ... excited to be cooking in a kitchen like this!

Hmmm. OK. Can you tell me about this one piece, "The Sink of Failed Dreams: Where All Good Housewife Dreams Go To Die"? 
- (pause. Puts down tea cup.)  Go to die?  I wouldn't say that. I mean, those dreams were awfully frivolous anyway. This is where I really belong and it's an awfully good life. Who has time for college and .. and a job when there's so much to do here.  Why its positively consuming!  There's really no time left over for such nonsense. I am very fulfilled right here and I've learned so much just with learning about domestic home economics ... so that silly thing about going to school was just that. silly.  They need me here. 

Alright. What do you keep under that sink? 
- Oh that? Thats just the stuff I don't need anymore, never did.  Rat poison, the leftovers ... all that silly stuff that I need to get rid of now that I have a nice new kitchen and a family on the way one day.  I've been needing to clean all that out anyway. 

How much time do you spend in your kitchen?
- (polite laughter) Why, all day, of course!  One day, when we have a big family, I'll be spending time in a nursery with little John Jr. and a sweet Becky Sue, but for now, I have so much to learn!  Home economics is a very very exhausting topic. Oh. I don't mean exhausting in a negative way. I simply mean there is very much to learn!  Did you know that the new ovens completely change the amount of time it takes to cook a glazed ham?  Canned pineapple makes it go so quickly. 

What is the most important tool you use in your kitchen?
- Oh thats easy! That would be my mixer. It matches my new refrigerator. They came together. It make my life so easy!  I get soooo much done with it.  It is so much better than mixing cake batter by hand!  Just look at it. It loves me ... its like its arms are opening for a big hug. (sigh)  Well I really must get back to work. There is so much to do before Friday, and we're expecting company. It was so nice to meet you!


There you have it.  Our housewife is back at it, primping her mint green and barbie pink kitchen, getting ready to greet you on Friday's opening at Bihl Haus Arts.  Do stop by. She'd love to show you around. (there might even be an ironing tutorial if you haven't already mastered this essential craft)

Bihl Haus Arts

2803 Fredricksburg Rd.

San Antonio, TX

This Friday, 5:30 - 8:30 pm

Can't Think Of An Idea? Steal Mine!

Kitchen Goddess first came into my life around 2004 or so, when I was asked to curate a show with that theme in mind for the Colorado Women's Caucus for Art. The first KG show was in 2006 and ended up being a nationally juried show as well as a full-blown textile installation from local Colorado artists. We had workshops of painstakingly weaving metallic thread around cutlery, glitzing out the most fabulous vaccuum cleaner of all time and using huge quantities of adhesives. To the stains of 'Come On In My Kitchen', and many kitchen goddesses parading in aprons, teetering in heels & party dresses and clutching glasses of wine with devilled eggs ... the kitchen goddess was born. KG went on, as most of you know, to make her mark on San Antonio, in FiberArtSpace last year, with multiple kitchen goddesses, 'ironing tutorials', salami rolls and pickles on a stick.

Imagine my surprise when this morning, someone asked me if a gallery reception invite they were about to send out was my image from this show. I was stunned to see my own postcard image going out for someone else's show!

one of the postcards I made for the 2008 show for women's history month

Turns out that a couple of local artists who were performing in my exhibit were so enamoured with the idea that at the same time this show came out last year for women's history month, they were simultaneously presenting it to someone as their own idea, that they would do as part of their own show in March of 2009.

Stephanie, at left, making the best damned scrambled eggs eva.

We had some very impassioned models, artists and closet performance-artists who came to recite 'how to be a good wife' to an unsuspecting crowd, those who doled out jello cups and cheesy crackers to the first friday drunks and those who camped up an already campy idea with their good sense of humor. It was a blast, draining, but a lot of fun and I don't think it permanently scarred Laurie, the gallery director. :) (at least i hope not)

ok now sure, you can draw bunnies and I can draw bunnies too. No harm there. I can be equally inspired by your work and make something that I might not have thought of on my own.

However, pushing off the kitchen goddess idea as your own, isn't the best idea ever conceived, especially when you're borrowing imagery from someone else's show flyer, or passing off a concept as your own when you're not really sure what its about, especially when its pretty specific like 'the kitchen goddess'. That's not one you hear every day. Especially in San Antonio. Sexy Vaccuum Cleaner, created by Kristin Woodbury, in Colorado.

And if you do decide to borrow someone else's concept, which anyone can do, you'd better at least rock the idea and do it right.

So I know I've got some of you out there that are either recovering Kitchen Goddesses or at least mildly entertained by the whole concept. If you've got an opinion on how far you can take someone else's idea/concept/work as your own before attributing or acknowledging where it came from, I'd love to see your comments on this page. ***Return to this blog at http://retrokitchengoddess.blogspot.com/ , post your comments at the bottom of this post, and the best comment will get your very own vintage Kitchen Goddess item, wrapped up with love and Lysol.

The Goddesses Are Gathering...

Like a percolating coffee pot, or the rising anticipation before a good live show, the excitement is starting to build for my kitchen goddesses across the city. Great things are happening, and I am scurrying to finish all my major pieces so that I'll be ready for the exhibit, in just 3 weeks!

Some of my goddesses work in glamorous modern-day jobs ... in the chamber of commerce, as a realtor broker, as models, actresses and local businesswomen. Others are aspiring artists, fashion design students, working moms and more. Please meet Deserea Marshall, one of my kitchen goddesses with attitude!

A local graphic arts student and former model, Deserea is comfortable both in front of and behind the camera. She's sassy, knows what she wants in life and isn't about to be intimidated by anything! Let's hear some of what she has to say:

Me: Who are your female role models?
DM: The moms from Leave It To Beaver, The Brady Bunch, and Little House On The Prairie. I wrote an essay on this for my college entry exam!

Now those are some gutsy women. Whether navigating the rigors of a full household and making it look easy or bracing against the rough life of the prarie, our kitchen goddess knows how to choose role models with moxie! I wonder just how gutsy she is...

Me: Can you run in high heels?
DM: I modeled until I was 19, and then had three children back to back, so running in heels is in my blood!

Me: If you were going to challenge a man to a competition you knew you could win, what would it be?
DM: Scrabble! or child birth for sure!

That's right guys! You might have the dual exhaust system figured out on your trucks. You might even be able to bench-press your full body weight while crossing and uncrossing your toes, but that's one thing you can't do, that our goddesses can, and with grace under pressure.

While Deserea has strong roots to family and friends, she also knows what she respects when she sees it in local businesspeople, and that's the people who know how to balance work and family. Spoken like a true kitchen goddess!

Me: Who do you admire in the business world most?
DM: Successful people who are actually doing what they love to do and still family oriented, very rare these days!


Deserea will be one of several performing as a charming yet sassy kitchen goddess in my textile exhibit that opens on March 6th in Fiber Artspace at the Blue Star Arts Complex. You'll have to come down and see for yourself! We'll save some devilled eggs just for you!
Visit Deserea's site about her photography and artwork! www.myspace.com/JupiterImaging

Chattin' In The Kitsch- en

Our kitchen goddesses are busy lining up and readying themselves for the March exhibit, but had just enough time away from ironing their going-out gloves to chat with us about what it takes to be fabulous. Martha Mauricia and Zita Barbara reflect for us.

Me: If I followed you around in the grocery store, what would I see you putting in your cart?

ZB: I like gummy bears. I get a small bag almost every time I go to the store. I have certain requirements. My boyfriend knows, and he stays at the store sifting through bags to see which one has the least green bears.

MM: I’m a very down to earth eater. You’d see me putting in goldfish crackers, fruits, steaks, and feta cheese. Every once and a while I put in ice cream or cake.

mmmm, cake.

Me: What is the strongest point of your studies? (both are currently finishing degrees)

MM: I’m a math person. That’s why I studied finance. It’s really a math degree in disguise.

ZB: Writing, art, music, marketing… in general I’m a creative person. I innovate and create wherever I go. To innovate something, a person needs to have a background in a number of things, not just one area in order to think differently and provide a different response to a problem that is normally answered the same way. So, to answer the question, I try to soak it all up when I’m in school, much like a kitchen sponge...

mmmm, kitchen sponges.

Now, while you're sitting on your couch with a bag of chips, these girls are cracking their knuckles and getting ready to whip us all into shape, both mentally and physically.

Me: If you held an influential public office, what is the first thing you would do or change?

MM: I would like to influence the fitness level in cities like San Antonio. I would also do more for the arts. In very intellectual cultures, art plays a big role in society. In American culture, art takes a back seat unless it attracts a mass audience and advertisers can make money off it. Therefore, most of the art we are exposed to is very manufactured to hit a certain crowd or demographic which means a lot of smaller artists aren’t heard.

Me: And Zita Barbara? What are your plans for the rest of this year?

ZB: I’m going to finish up with my second degree this year and look into different graduate programs. I of course, hope to finish my CD this year. I would like to make a music video just because that sounds like a lot of fun.

Me: If you were to challenge a member of the opposite sex to a competition, knowing you could win, what competition would you choose?

MM: arm wrestling. There’s nothing more humiliating than to hear the buddy of a boy say, “You lost to her at arm wresting…”

Be forewarned fellas! Be warned!

Dressing The Goddesses....

Today I met with two prospective Kitchen Goddesses, Mauricia and Zita. Both beautiful and smart girls living and working in San Antonio, they will wear the shoes and walk the path of our beloved 50's Kitchen Goddess. I am starting work in the next couple of days on Zita's beautiful dress, which I can't wait to create! I've got my vintage 50s patterns that I snagged this weekend at the fabric shop. (click on the image above to get a close-up) They all look so festive! The only thing missing from this is a platter of salami rolls!

I will be posting much more on our first two goddesses here shortly!

For your enjoyment, check out some of the 'spoken word' our girls will be sharing with you. This is based off a real article, printed in a 1954 home ec textbook, of which many of us have previously heard of, if, for no other reason than to laugh hysterically.

How To Be A Good Wife (quick excerpt--- you'll want to attend the opening to hear it all, spoken with gusto!)

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed....

Calling All Kitchen Goddesses....

If you are a kitchen goddess at heart, or have a love for the nostalgia of the 50s or life before the microwave … and would like to volunteer to participate in a very cool art exhibit in March, please call me! I am creating a multi-media exhibit that will also feature living, breathing Kitchen Goddesses, that roam the exhibit in character, offering conversations to viewers on what it would be like to be a retro housewife of the 50s.

Breathe life into a character you create, and become a Kitchen Goddess!

The exhibit dates that I need Goddesses for are:
March 6 -9th and March 15th, at Fiber Artspace, in the Blue Star Art Complex.

Please contact me at:
Suchil Coffman
210.807.0645 or coffman.suchil@gmail.com