Multimedia Work
Conflict of Meaning (2016):
The Unvarnished Truth (2014):
The inspiration for this work came from a set Polaroid images taken by the photographer Jack Butler. His extremely graphic images of the female form, with enlarged male hands grasping the bodies inspired me to further explore the female body in relation to hands: how those hands interact with the figures, if the interaction is sensual or violent, etcetera. Through an extensive process of photographing, sketching, sculpting, and painting hands I came to make these images. My choice to leave the wood unvarnished, without any glaze or coating, is imperative to the project itself, as I am hoping to allow the true nature of the treatment of women’s bodies come through. By leaving the raw, organic birch wood, the images sit as they are on a rough, natural surface. There is no flashiness, nor is there a manmade frame, allowing the women to be as they are, uncovered and exposed in vulnerable positions.