Body - Honors Studio Assignment #4

TOP: Revised

BOTTOM: Origin


Don't Look At Me! 

Artist's statement: 

Paradox (Body Assignment) 

cardboard, wire, acrylic paint & marker

Honors Studio Art, 2024

I am aware of my biological sex at all times: How it can feel like a punch to the face when it is all I am summed up to, and something I have to be careful of, for my safety as a feminine presenting person. As humans we are constantly conscious of, and often ashamed of our appearance. I notice this manifests particularly in the clothing we choose to wear, so I intended from the start for this piece to be worn. The naked torso represents wearing your body on the outside--a feeling of being forced to meet expectations or dress a certain way. The irony of wearing this  out on the street, of drawing attention where you so badly don't want people to look, is what drove my intention with this piece.



Three Core Ideas/Experiences that make up this piece: 

1. Adam And Eve story from the Bible - After Eve commits the first sin, she and Adam feel shame and cover themselves up. The torso is intended to be wearing yourself on the outside.

2. Experiences I have in public - I gravitate towards whatever I find interesting and am often told when I walk in following a welcome greeting is "the men's section is on this side, and the women's section is on the other." Because I am visibly female, I must meet expectations to dress a certain way. 

3. The urge to cover our bodies up (baggy clothes that hide our figures and any indication of shape and form). As humans we are constantly aware, and often ashamed. I notice this manifests a lot in clothing, so I intended from the start for this piece to be worn. 

REVISIONS: I plan to change and play around with the words on the back. I received feedback on the font and direction of the letters and how the back sign was more striking than the front. I  want to add more stitching. I want to make a short film compiled of clips of me or another model walking, wearing this piece. 

My main takeaway from this piece is intention. A lot of my classmate's questions caught me off guard because they asked about my intentions behind certain decisions like color (why blue?), materials, the positioning of the arms leading off the sign. For many, I did not have an answer prepared. It challenged me to really think about symbolism and assigning a meaning to my decisions, especially in my process making. 








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