In
three separate readings from this class, psychological androgyny is
identified as an important aspect of creative personality. The
Csikszentmihalyi, Kaufman/Baer, and Barron/Harrington readings all
explore this idea. This concept is the combination of both masculine
and feminine traits. (This has nothing to do with sexual preference
or identity.) As stated in the Csikszentmihalyi article, “when
tests of masculinity/femininity are given to young people, over and
over one finds that creative and talented girls are more dominant and
tough than other girls, and creative boys are more sensitive and less
aggressive than their male peers.”
I
would like to explore this idea through a particular musical group
called CocoRosie. However, before going into their androgynous
aspects, I will present a little background information on them.
American
sisters Bianca (Coco) and Sierra (Rosie) Casady formed the band in
Paris after meeting for the first time in years. In the very
beginning, the group was just this duo: Sierra (trained as an opera
singer) sang, played the guitar, piano, and harp, with Bianca
rapping, singing, and manipulating various kids' toys, percussive, and electronic instruments. Later however, they added different
backing musicians to the group, some of which are a bassist,
keyboardist, and beatboxer. Ever since the creation of the group,
their music has been hard to categorize. More than any other label,
the music has been called “freak folk,” as it utilizes elements
of pop, opera, blues, electronica, and hip hop.
Moving
back to their androgynous creativity, the sisters have been called
“gender benders” by many. The sisters frequently present
themselves in male clothing or artificial facial hair, whether it be
in the public, for a music video, interview, or concert. Often times,
the sisters blend both stereotypically feminine and masculine
articles of clothing in one ensemble; they blur the lines of gender
cliches to create something wholly unique. On multiple album covers,
the sisters are seen adorning mustaches.
Most
specifically, the album cover for The Adventures of Ghosthorse and
Stillborn showcases both sisters in Victorian dresses, with Bianca
also costumed as a male soldier kneeling at her sister's side.
So
we know how the sisters present an androgynous side to their creative
presentation. Now the question is why.
Firstly,
the sisters claim that they are inspired by concepts of androgyny.
Ever since the onset of the band, Bianca has played with gender,
either portraying male characteristics or blending them with female
ones.
Though
she is gay, she says that their androgyny has nothing to do with
that. "My sexuality is explored in my work but it's more my
gender than my sexual preference. It’s really not about being gay
or ungay, it’s about being yourself in a patriarchal,
hetero-centric, hetero-normative, monotheistic world. It’s always
the changing question and answer, and it’s the forefront of my
work."
This
idea of overthrowing misogynistic values is further explored
spiritually in Bianca's mind. “Patriarchy is over... Most of all, I
am tired of the male image of God. We are from the earth, she is our
mother; we must protect her.” This is why she goes beyond simple
male versus female attire.
To
her it is something otherworldly and distinctly creative; it's a
fantasy she is bringing to life. “We started to fashion ourselves
after elemental beings — fairies and gnomes; sort of a post-human
kind of style where gender roles don’t apply in the same way
necessarily; where facial hair isn’t explanatory of one’s gender.
It’s more of an adornment or just sort of evident that we’re
turning more and more to nature and becoming more a part of the
landscape.”
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