A Woman is her Own Ocean

This essay examines a drawing by performance artist Jess Dobkin. Created for her 2021 Wetrospective at the Art Gallery of York University, the drawing depicts a female-body-shaped Venn Diagram that contains all the names of the people, artists, places, and groups that Jess has collaborated with in her art practice since 1991. The drawing has a notable crossover of two circles that form a bright pink, pointy-ended oval. This is the vaginal portal of the “Venn woman” at the center of the drawing. Through an analysis of this drawing, this essay considers the nature of collaboration and community-building in both art-making practices, and in life.

Keywords: 2021 ; Art Gallery of York University ; art making practice ; collaboration ; creating community ; drawing ; Jess Dobkin ; performance art ; vagina ; Venn Diagram ; Wetrospective