My final project I wanted to dive deep about how women are
perceived as or looked as in people’s eyes and this final project is something
that I had dealt with my teenage years and even ongoing. I put myself in the
work, where you see the different side of a woman. On the left you see the very
sweet, colourful candy like, dream like girl and this is what people are
attracted to and what people think that this is how girls or women are supposed
to be or look. On the right, you see dark figures, dismembered bodies and even
though it is revolting, but it is also fascinating to look at, you can’t look
away. I am the only child in my family, and I am always told that I had to
dress a certain way when I was younger. I was told that I had to dress girly just to be attractive. Imagine being told at 13, that I had to dress in order to be seen as attractive to other people.
My project is a combination of Natalia Seth work and Wangechi Mutu.
Natalia Seth work is from her dreams
- "When I’m falling asleep, I force myself to think of ideas, and then, just let my train of thought go wherever it may please. That’s a cool time to clear out my mind and think of creative things, just clear out all the clutter from the day." - Natalia Seth
I am the same way, I also get my ideas to draw something from my dreams because sometimes trying to think of something when you are wide awake, nothing comes to mind but once you sleep you start getting these dreams that you never imagned of having. I feel like dreams are much better to get your ideas than thinking hard and making your mind hurt.
I can also relate to Natalia of making friends, the only way I can actually make friends or even associate with people is with my art.
- "As a child I was super awkward and shy, and finding this medium has allowed me to channel my weirdness through my images. When I couldn’t express my feelings in words, I created images instead". - Natalia Seth
With my art, I am able to actually start having conversations with people about something that we are interested in.
Wangechi Mutu centers her work on the female body so through her collages, sculptures, and video works, she creates these powerful matriarchal hybrid figures from elements of human, plant, animal, and mechanical forms. Her art dives into gender, race, art history and personal identity themes. Mutu’s art is deeply concerned with reshaping narratives around womanhood, challenging racist and misogynistic views prevalent in Western culture.
- "Females carry the marks, language and nuances of their culture more than the male. Anything that is desired or despised is always placed on the female body." - Wangechi Mutu
This quote suggests that women often bear the weight of cultural expectations, both positive and negative, more intensely than men. So the marks could be a physical or symbolic like lets say a traditional clothing, body modifications, or how women are expected to carry themsleves and not look like slobs. For language its about women learning and embodeying the cutural norms, customs or language at such an early age therefore they become like a carrier for these cultural expressions. Nuances is just a sublte aspects of culture, like social roles, how to behave, rituals, they are ingrained in women's lives once they are born until they die.
This also talks about the desired and the despised aspects of women. Society values or disapproval is always aimed at women. Desired are to be considered women's beauty, their nuturing qualities, modesty, and self- sacrifice meaning giving up on your own interests or any wishes just to help others. Despised are the ones that has flaws, doesnt know the norms of a woman, and behaviors that challenges on what women are supposed to be doing.
Lets also talk about the placement on Female Bodies. The female bodies becomes a canvas for cultural expression, expectations and judgements. So we have no say in our own body but other people can have a say on our body. The desired traits are always emphasized with adornments, makeup and fashion which thats what we always see on magazines and on social media, women wearing clothing brands and some of the clothes are sometimes very scandily leaving with no little imaginations. The despised ascpects of women are lead to the body shaming, objectification, or restrictions on the bodily autonomy. Meaning, the despised women are women who are not seen beautiful are always shamed because of their body or their face. We are always having a restrictions on our body, we can't go to clinic without being controlled by men.
LINKS:
Wangechi Mutu’s Magically Intertwined World | Art & Object (artandobject.com)
Natalia Seth, A Multimedia Artist With A Dreamy Vision Of The World – Collective World
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