Final Project - Arianna Guevara

 

The World Is Woman

I made this collage art piece with the intent of coming from a feminist standpoint. I used elements of Wangechi Mutus collage art style making a human-like creature. This piece shows a woman’s body with the head of a fierce animal holding up both the world and the sun. There are plant -like vines  wrapped around the creature's legs, waist, and arms pulling it down to the ground. I used the vines to represent the challenges women face that try to keep women down regardless of how we try to progress over the years. Women still face challenges today such as gender inequality, workplace discrimination, and societal expectations. We still have gender pay gaps and limited opportunities for career advancements. There are also ongoing efforts to restrict women’s reproductive rights. The eyes on the bottom also represent the criticism and judgment  towards women that choose not to conform to societal expectations. Society often places pressure on women to follow traditional gender roles and expectations such as getting married, having children, or prioritizing their appearance. Some can be labeled as “unfeminine” or “selfish”. I placed the sun and the earth in the woman-like creatures' hands to emphasize the important contributions women make to the world. Women have made contributions to various fields including science, politics, arts, and most importantly hold the gift of giving life to both men and women. 

This work is similar to the previous pieces I’ve done in a sense that I usually incorporate feminist ideas and appreciation of women and the body. However, the style of it is a little bit different. I made this piece with a couple of more textures. I included the use of different materials such as pipe cleaners, paint, glitter, Pom Pom balls, sticky notes and magazine images. I also expanded the collage using a bigger canvas.