‘reclaim yourself’
For my course Introduction to 3D Sculpture, I was prompted to create a piece that routed itself in modern social commentary; gauging us in our opinions and beliefs, the final assignments were supposed to declare an opinion, feeling, or belief we held on social justice issues. Instead of just limiting myself to modern commentary, I expanded my issue towards the idea of femininity, objectification, and the view and progression of women throughout society.
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12 in x 12 in x 12 in helmet, 30 8in x 10in images and frames
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Plastic bowl, insulation foam, ping pong balls, spackle, spray paint, photography, frames
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4 weeks
The Venus of Willendorf is one of, if not the earliest pieces of art in history. The true meaning behind the creation of the piece is debated, but it is strongly believed to be a religious votive of fertility. The figure has wide hips, large breasts, and a strong figure hinting toward the idealized woman in terms of childbirth.
What isn’t debatable is its objectification of the female figure to perpetuate what was wanted in a woman. And now, women are continuously objectified; judged on what they wear, say, and do.
For my piece, I chose to recreate the head of the iconic votive with various materials, such as spackle, ping pong balls, and spray paint. I then had various women photographed with the head. For wardrobe choice, I told the models to ‘wear what they felt ‘empowered’ in,’ and had them pose three ways: standing still, ‘empowered,’ and then holding the head as a trophy at their side.
The photographs were displayed in three tiers, working their way up in the groups. The bottom tier was the standing still as if recreating the statue. The top, though, was the ‘trophy’ stance; by posing with the head at the side, they vocalize that they themselves are taking back who they are and what they stand for; in using the helmet at the end as their own, they are reclaiming themselves.
