The works investigate the fluidity and ambiguity of sexual identity and explore the performative nature of gender. I have depicted subjects who defy preconceived norms and conventional gender binaries as they go about preparing themselves to face the world. In so doing, I have endeavoured to celebrate the inherent beauty which is to be found in the plasticity and nebulosity of gender. By highlighting the falseness of the male/female dichotomy, I hope to encourage an appreciation of the nuances and complexities of the human condition which cannot be definitively categorized or constrained.
I endeavoured to investigate perceptions of feminine identity and the female body via a series consisting of bronze plaques and mixed media works on paper.
Collectively, the pieces explore the notion of how idealized feminine archetypes, which reflect patriarchal ideals of perfection, are divorced from the reality of the female body and experience. Such representations are presented repeatedly and pervade visual and popular culture. They are internalized and those who are exposed to them are rendered incapable of appreciating the beauty which is to be found in the unique idiosyncrasies of feminine corporeality.
To visually communicate this, I have chosen to juxtapose castings of Barbie doll torsos, which epitomise homogenous, stylised feminine ideals with images of real women of varied ages. Though the patternation on each of the three bronzes differs, they are all essentially the same doll. This mirrors the recurrent imposition of unattainable standards of aesthetic and cultural propriety, to which women are expected to conform, by the media and society. I sought to subvert the connotations historically associated with bronze as a monumental medium, predominantly at the disposal of male artists, by producing works on a small, intimate scale.
However, each of the works on paper, rendered using a combination of pencil, pastel and watercolour are celebrations of the individuality of the respective sitters. This combination of media enabled me to capture subtle tonal gradations and the textural qualities of flesh, hair and fabric with sufficient detail as well as imbuing the works with a haptic quality.
A horizontally orientated frieze consisting of three watercolour works, depicting various hermaphroditic organisms, interspersed with photocopy transfer printed text from Virginia Woolf’s novel, Orlando. The work highlights the aesthetic splendour of creatures that cannot be classed according to conventional notions of gender. In so doing it highlights the beauty of gender ambiguity. It also emphasizes the arbitrary and potentially divisive nature of the human need for certainty which is manifested in excessive categorization.