Her Body

Her Body

Elizabeth Tolson

How is the female body viewed? Are there different ways to see the female body? How does a female view her own body? “Her Body” will be a show that presents the female body in four different lights, as a piece of nature, imperfections, from her emotions (as modern art), and through the eyes of a woman herself.

In the text Visual and Other Pleasures, Laura Mulvey writes about the idea of the cinema and what it offers the viewer. The cinema offers the chance to view someone else’s home and life. The theater is darkened to so that each viewer cannot see the person sitting next to him, thereby allowing the feeling of being alone. Mulvey also brings up Freud’s Three Essays on Sexuality, the examples from which she uses are the voyeuristic activities of children; Children’s desires to see and learn more about the forbidden and private areas and other people’s functions. This trails off into what she writes later about the idea of recognition. People feel comfortable watching the cinema because it is something they know, the human face, the human body, the relationship between the human form and its surroundings (Mulvey 1997). Using some of Mulvey’s ideas would be interesting for the display of my show; the room is darkened and each piece is spot lighted. Employing this technique would provide a sense of a private viewing and allow the viewer the freedom to examine each piece more in depth.

Because people watching is such a big part of what Christina West’s work is about, I want to bring it to the top of my show. Her Body represents what we see in each other, what we want to see in ourselves. How our body works and what we want from it. When looking at West’s human sculptures you are able to tell that she is an avid people watcher. Movements and emotions prevails through her pieces and are obvious. Her attention to detail really gives her pieces a human like quality. Additionally, her work provides a view of how woman look at each other. It is said that women look and other women more than men look women. Capturing a woman’s view of other women provides important insight in that women look at other women very differently, from how men look at women. Most of the time when a woman is looking at another woman, she is comparing herself to that woman. The two pieces that best depicts this idea of comparing and judging are Woman: 4’10” tall (Figure A) and Woman: 17.5” x 32” x 66” (Figure B).

Woman: 4’10” tall (Figure A)

Woman: 4’10” tall (Figure A) provides the sense that West must have been people watching while sitting on a bench in the mall or the park. The woman looks as if she has been stopped in her tracks and her clothing was removed to allow a closer look at her. People are always curious to see what is hiding underneath someone’s clothes. It is interesting that people feel the need to cover up their flaws and not allow other to see, while at the same time they want to know what others are hiding.

Woman: 17.5” x 32” x 66” (Figure B)

Woman: 17.5” x 32” x 66” (Figure B) makes you wonder what the woman is doing. Unlike Woman: 4’10” tall who has been stopped in her steps, this woman is sprawled on the floor. Just the awkward positioning of her body is very intriguing. The manner her body begins to fold and tuck causes me to wonder if my body looks like this when I am stretching at the gym or just lounging around naked. West’s works provides women great insight into their own bodies. Although her positioning may seem awkward, this piece exudes a sexual feeling. If the woman is viewed from her feet, because of the positioning of her buttock it almost seems as if she is trying to seduce someone. The original context for this piece was for a show called “The Sleep of Reason.” However, she would most likely be taken in a completely different manner when viewed in a different context.

Untitled (Figure C)

These first two pieces are unlike the third piece of hers I have chosen, Untitled (Figure C). With this piece, you see more of how a woman views herself. When I look at it, I see a woman who does not want to see herself. The red dots give me the feeling that she feels her body is diseased and possibly disgusting. She is covering her breasts so no one can see them. The towel wrapped around her head covers her eyes, could be interpreted, as she does not even want to see herself in the mirror. The contrast between this piece and her two other pieces is drastic; She has gone from the two whole bodies of women to a half a torso and head. I enjoy the fact that there is so much contrast between these pieces, especially since they are from the same artist. I want the viewer to really look at what is happening to the bodies of the first two women. I would even like some of the female viewers to compare and contrast their own bodies to the sculptures. For the last piece Untitled (Figure C) I want this to be more of an understanding for the viewer; to look at the piece and get a feeling of what the woman is going through; what does she see in her body?

During the interview Alex Hoang and I held with Christina West we asked if people watching was still a big part of how she works. Her response was “yes” and that she feels it is a part of her personality. When asked about her working habits, West indicated her studio was located in her home which allowed her to mix her home life with her work life; Making it easier for her to finish her work.

Allan Teger does a fantastic job presenting the female body as a landscape. I would have put more of his pieces into the show but I did not want to turn it into an Allan Teger exhibition. In each of Teger’s photographs, he has taken the female body and turned it into a landscape. Even though his photos are very subtle, his idea comes across quite strong. These photographs must be examined up close to really have a full understanding of them. This puts Teger and West’s pieces into the same category. I want the viewers to really study the female body for what it is and what it could be.

The presentation of Teger’s still lives are humorous and yet elegant. The photographs, created by a man, show how the female body should be explored. The female body is not just something you touch and then leave; you really need to get down to the nitty gritty.

English Countryside (Figure D)

In English Countryside (Figure D), you see the female body as more of a landscape. All the curves that are being emphasized by the trees and the horses running down her back then up her buttocks. It is an important factor that the woman in the foreground has stretch marks on her buttocks. Stretch marks are a big part of being a woman and most women are embarrassed about them. Teger’s use of a woman who clearly has stretch marks on her buttocks allows you to become more connected with this photograph. I selected a variety of Teger’s photographs for my show because I did not want the focus to just be on one aspect of the female body. The next photograph is a close up of a female breast titled Mountain Climbers (Figure E).

Mountain Climbers (Figure E)

This photograph shows two people climbing a breast. Sometimes breasts are referenced as a woman’s mountains, or her lumps, possibly her lovely lady lumps. Again the theme he uses shows the breast is no longer just a breast but something that needs to be fully explored. Closer examination of this piece furthers the understanding of the female body. This photograph is shot in a silhouette style.

“Fishing Trip” (Figure F)

The last piece of Teger’s I have chosen is “Fishing Trip” (Figure F). This photograph also focuses in on one part of the body, and emphasizes the idea of the belly button. What is a belly button? Why do we have one? Is there more to a belly button then just a hole on your stomach? Teger’s use of the belly button as a fishing hole suggests living creatures inside the belly button or possibly her stomach/pelvic area. Although on the surface the photograph is just a fishing shot, the deeper image it portrays is the ability to hold life

Since the majority of the pieces I have chosen for my show are along the lines of the physical traits of a woman I thought it was important for me to add some modern pieces that have more of an emotional point of view. When looking at Jenna Erfein’s Dissolution Threshold-Puddle (Figure G) you can tell the piece is made up of several small glass teardrops. Although I do not believe this piece was intended to represent a female emotion, that is the context I will be using it for in my show.

Dissolution Threshold-Puddle (Figure G)

This installation is of a woman could be interpreted as the creation or the destruction of the woman. I see it more as the destruction of the woman. From the way she is crotched and leaning against the wall I get the feeling that she is sad or weak. Her head is against the wall and her arms are crossed. The tiny glass teardrops are a trail behind her, appearing as though she is “letting go,” or “falling apart.” This piece allows an emotional view of woman’s body; what makes a person who they are? The second piece of Erfein’s that I have picked is Strain Fracture- Cracked (Figure H) which is much different from her Dissolution Threshold-Puddle (Figure G) installation. Although these two pieces are very different you are still able to recognize that they both are Erfein’s work.

Strain Fracture- Cracked (Figure H)

This sculpture shows fewer emotions than her installation. However, this sculpture feels as though it could be saying more. When looking at this sculpture you get a feeling of cold and uptight. The jagged edges of the front of her body make her feel unwelcoming, completely opposite of West’s sculptures, which are very inviting. The backside of this woman is missing, but if the lighting were just right maybe she would have an illusion of being complete; this suggests that the elements of your surroundings are what make you complete.

The final artist and piece I have chosen for my exhibit is William Wegman’s Reduce/Increase (Figure I). This piece could be seen as the turning point of the show. The fact that the photograph is of a man representing a woman could insult some people. However, this piece is important because it really emphasizes how ridiculous our society has gotten. This piece illustrates how a woman sees herself.

Wegman’s Reduce/Increase (Figure I)

There are several things I want the viewer to take away from “Her Body.” The most important aspect is that every one of us is beautiful and although we are different, we are all similar. This show will help people explore their own bodies. “Her Body” will be an exhibit aimed primarily towards woman, but men will also gain much information concerning the female body. Woman, whether a mother, wife, or sister, will be able to connect with each piece. Men will also have some connection at this level, giving contrast to each piece. If well received, my next show could very well be “His Body.”

Work Cited

Duncan, Carol. "The MoMa's Hot Mamas." Art Journal, Images of Rule: Issues of Intrepretation 48.2 (1989): 171-128. Jstor. Web. 18 Nov. 2009.

Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema*." VISUAL AND OTHER PLEASURES. Hong Kong: Indiand Universsity Press, 1993. 14-26. Print.

Rubin, Susan, and Ed Suleiman. Female Body in Western Culture : Contemporary Perspectives. United States of America: Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Ma, 1986. Print.

Tanner, Jeremy. "Nature, Culture and the Body in Classical Greek Religious Art." Taylor & Francis 33.2 (2001): 257-276. Jstor. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.