User:Sakajohnson/gap analysis

Gap analysis

 * What is the title of the article in which you identified a gap. If no article exists at all, what should the title be?

Navjot Altaf


 * Document the gap you found, describe how you identified it, and analyze its impact on knowledge.

The failure to make a page for the artist Navjot Altaf, not only represents a fundamental deficiency in knowledge about feminist art on Wikipedia (despite the great progress that has been made), but also of non-western feminist artists and the work that they have been able to accomplish. As I searched to find a topic, western feminist artists, such as Judy Chicago, Miriam Schapiro, Martha Rosler, and countless others have pages, which at this point are stocked with lots of accurate and helpful information. But where I began to notice more and more gaps was when I started looking into non-western artists. It was in this search, that I discovered that Navjot Altaf did not have a page at all. When I figured this out, I knew exactly what I wanted to write about. I was inspired by Navjot’s work in Bastar when we read about it and then talked about it in class. What really spoke to me about her work in particular is that she was able to learn about the traditions of the society that she wanted to help and not force change upon them, but help them in a practical way that was integral to their societal set-up but also able to enact social change naturally, and through means that were accepted and welcomed by their culture. I think that by starting a Wikipedia page dedicated to Navjot Altaf, it will begin to open up more opportunities for further information about non-western feminist artists to be presented on Wikipedia.


 * Propose a paragraph of new or substantially edited content based on reliable sources. (If you are editing existing content, post the current version along with your edited version, and clearly mark which is which.)

Navjot Altaf is an artist who’s works are presented through many medium, including film, spatial/site-oriented installations, sculpture, and photography. She currently lives and works in both Mumbai and Bastar. Navjot began her career in the 1970’s, exhibiting her work in India, Germany, and New York. Navjot has also presented at seminars in India, Japan, Indonesia, U.K., U.S.A., and Canada about her work and art practices. She has also been featured in many international exhibitions. Navjot was born in 1949 in Meerut, India. She attended the J.J. School of Arts in Mumbai, India from 1967-1972, and received her degree in Fine and Applied Arts. Her art largely focuses on playing with the boundaries of art and political activism. Much of her work is approached from Marxist and feminist theorist views, and takes into consideration the culture, social history of art, and psychoanalytical theory. Navjot aims to distort the typical viewer relationship to her artwork through extensive dialogical contact. Navjot is well known for her collaborations. She has worked with musicians, activists, documentary filmmakers, crafts people, and the general public, to produce artwork. In 1997 she began collaborating with Adivasi artists in Kondagoan, Bastar (central India), making pump sites and temples for children (called Pilla Gudi’s). The pump sites created by Navjot and her collaborators gave importance to the role of collecting water, which is traditionally done by mainly Adivasi women and children. The design of the space included a wall that blocks the view from potential on-lookers, creating a social platform for the women to perform their job, as well as to have a place for discourse and recreation.


 * List the reliable sources that could be used to improve this gap. (You can use the Cite tool from the editing toolbar above to input and format your sources.)

2016. .
 * "Navjot Altaf - Women Environmental Artists Directory." Women Environmental Artists Directory RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2016. .
 * "Navjot Altaf." Navjot Altaf. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2016. .
 * "Navjot-bio « TALWAR GALLERY." Navjot-bio « TALWAR GALLERY. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2016. .
 * "Welcome to Navjotaltaf.com." Welcome to Navjotaltaf.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb.
 * Kester, Grant H. ""The Genius of Place"" The One and the Many: Contemporary Collaborative Art in a Global Context. Durham: Duke UP, 2011. 76-95. Print.