Conversation with Aviva Rahmani, New York, 2004

Aviva Rahmani reflects on the transformative power of early feminist art: “The 60s and early feminist art opened a Pandora’s box, there was the joy of sex, and there were the horrors of child abuse and domestic violence and rage and anger and fear. What was easiest to deal with as time went on was the anger. It turned out to be a double-edged sword, because anger generates anger.” She recounts works like The Pocketbook Piece, where women shared personal stories through their belongings, and Ablutions, a visceral performance addressing rape with materials like blood, milk, and egg. Rahmani recounts that before the feminist movement addressed women’s oppression, “victims of violence and rape were not to be survivors who could casually look you in the eye. They were to be terminally burdened with shame and self-doubt.” She acknowledges the emotional toll of engaging with such work and later transitioned to a more regenerative practice.

After moving to a Maine island, Rahmani focused on ecological restoration and documentation, including a series on fog as a metaphor for safety. Her Ghost Nets project linked human struggles to drift nets—massive, invisible fishing nets trapping marine life. “The personal is political. My personal experience of degradation or rape or domestic violence... as I restored the saltmarsh, I was restoring myself as well,” as she navigated chronic fatigue syndrome, aging, and limited resources. This project became a significant ecological achievement, validating the importance of small marshes and inspiring further work: “Now I work with teams of city planners, scientists, and landscape architects; projects ranging from a proposal for the restoration of Bergen-Belsen, to places in Maine where we took GIS overlays to see where there was open space left that could recreate corridors for animal migration routes.” She ties these efforts to her philosophy: the power of small actions, resilience, and the necessity of collaboration and the need to “think globally, act locally.”

Rahmani critiques cultural attitudes toward women’s sexuality and empowerment, underscoring the challenges of reclaiming agency within a patriarchal framework: “Attribution is critical. Too often, one person emerges as the star—that’s a patriarchal model. It’s poison. Collaboration and recognition are the social change we need.” Reflecting on the feminist movement’s transformative achievements, Rahmani acknowledges: “One of the great strengths of the feminist art movement was, at its best, a measure of humility and modesty—essential for collaborative work and appreciating others.” Rahmani continues: “Without the feminist movement, we wouldn’t talk about rape, domestic violence, or date rape. We wouldn’t have women in politics or terms like sensitivity training and day care.” Drawing on her 1960s activism, she recalls the risks and resistance: “The answer isn’t to run away and make paper doilies. It’s to talk about it and have the courage…even when it was scary.”