My Studio Space

The Gaze Reversed

Philip Guston Residue 1971

'Lucien Freud' By Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon

'Since the beginning of time, we have had countless examples of human violence even in our very civilised century. We have even created bombs capable of blowing up the planet a thousand times over. An artist instinctively takes all this into account. He can’t do otherwise. I am a painter of the 20th century: during my childhood I lived through the revolutionary Irish movement, Sinn Fein, and the wars, Hiroshima, Hitler, the death camps, and daily violence that I’ve experienced all my life. And after all that they want me to paint bunches of pink flowers… But that’s not my thing. The only things that interest me are people, their folly, their ways, their anguish, this unbelievable, purely accidental intelligence which has shattered the planet, and which maybe, one day, will destroy it. I am not a pessimist. My temperament is strangely optimistic. But I am lucid.’

Francis Bacon

Michio Kaku: Can Nanotechnology Create Utopia?

Don't Believe in Anybody Else's Believe System

Laura Mulvey - Film Theorist, Media Scholar, Filmaker

In 1975, Laura Mulvey, popularized the “Male Gaze” and the “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” These theories about film and cinema relate to how stills and shots depict the superiority of men and submissiveness of women in such medium. It gives us the message of a film through the perspective of a heterosexual male which leads to focus on the women in the film. These give the viewers a chance to take a closer look at the video to see beyond the surface message of it.
In Laura Mulvey’s theory, Phallocentrism is being discussed. It is said that women have this innate desire to have a penis. What makes men who they are is the existence of their external genitalia. And as we all know, men are dominant and women are submissive. And women have always had this dream of turning the tables around.
As a young woman I understand that there is a pleasure of being looked at. This love of looking is called 'Scopophilia'.
In Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” music video, The woman/figure of woman is objectified as a symbol for visual pleasure and sexual entertainment, contrary to the surface message of the text which shows the breaking free of the woman from her marginal position. Also, if close read, the video depicts the woman as marginalized and submissive to man.

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois

“I have been to hell and back and let me tell you, it was wonderful.”

"If I get any prettier can I be your baby?"

"Am I showing too much flesh?"

Barbie Chops

Plain Plastic series

'Plain Plastic'

The inspiration for my art work was initially drawn from Marilyn Minter’s shiny and seductive paintings, photographs and videos. I chose female sexuality and the excess of the feminine as my subject matter as I wanted to explore this idea in depth.

I used Barbie to represent what is seen to be the “perfect” female body, in today’s world. Realistically, no female body can look like Barbie, unless it undergoes cosmetic surgery. Why do we want to look like Barbie when she is simply made up of plastic assembled parts?

My main influences are Cindy Sherman, Lisa Yuskavage and Mariel Clayton who all deal with female sexuality in their work. I was particularly interested in the Barbie-like element present in Yuskavage’s and Clayton’s work. Naomi Wolf’s book ‘The Beauty Myth’ gave me great thoughts and ideas.

Manet’s ‘Olympia’ was also in the back of my mind when exploring this idea.

My work is extremely vibrant, luscious and glossy just as I want it to be. The materials used are just as important as the subject matter. I have displayed my work in a series. The Barbie body parts add a sinister touch to my work.

Other artists researched include Frida Kahlo, Amanda Coogan, Paul McCarthy, Anna Gaskall, Nan Goldin and Gerhard Richter.

Final Show

The inspiration for my art work was initially drawn from Marilyn Minter’s shiny and seductive paintings, photographs and videos. I chose female sexuality and the excess of the feminine as my subject matter as I wanted to explore this idea in depth. This led me to research artists such as Cindy Sherman, Lisa Yuskavage and Amanda Coogan, who all deal with female sexuality in their work. I was particularly interested in the Barbie-like element present in Yuskavage’s work. Manet’s ‘Olympia’ was also in the back of my mind while exploring this idea.

I used Barbie to represent what is seen to be the “perfect” female body, in today’s world. Realistically, no female body can look like Barbie, unless it undergoes cosmetic surgery.

My work is extremely vibrant, luscious and glossy just as I want it to be. The materials used are just as important as the subject matter. I have displayed my work in a series. It varies in scale and is flattened to the wall, giving it a poster or sticker-like element.

Other artists researched include Frida Kahlo, Laurie Simmons, Paul McCarthy, Anna Gaskall, Nan Goldin and Gerhard Richter.

Barbie Series

Identifying Subject Matter Statement

I began this project with an open mind and looked at Gerhard Richter's Atlas. However, my inspiration was drawn from my materials project with Marilyn Minter in the back of my mind. I chose female sexuality and the excess of the feminine as my subject matter as I wanted to explore this idea in greater depth. This led me to research artists such as Cindy Sherman, Lisa Yuskavage and Amanda Coogan, who all deal with female sexuality in  their work.I was particularly interested in the Barbie-like element in Yuskavage's work.

I used my sister as a model. I covered her face in organic materials such as gooseberries and strawberry jam, put bright coloured lipstick on her and took a series of glossy, colourful photographs.

Inspired by Yuskavage and Laurie Simmons' work , I experimented with Barbie, taking seductive yet sinister photographs.

Other artists researched include Paul McCarthy, Anna Gaskall and Nan Goldin.

Exploring the feminine

Photography

Materials Project Statement

My inspiration for this project was initially drawn from Marilyn Minter's shiny and seductive paintings, photographs and videos, which deal with female sexuality. I also looked at glamour and beauty magazines. This led me to research artist Karla Black, who uses cosmetics in her work.
Other artists who inspired me include Frida Kahlo, Pipilotti Rist, Christopher Wool, Marloes Ten Bhomer and Brian Eno, particularly his video paintings. I experimented with beauty products and many organic materials such as betroot and jam, looking for glossy textures. Keeping Marilyn Minter's video 'Green Pink Caviar', 2009 in mind, I took photographs and videos.
My most successful video was 'Body Lotion Dancing on Beetroot Juice/ Vertical Fire' which has Brian Eno's 'Thursday Afternoon' music added to it, giving it a sinister touch. I suceeded in moving away from the visualisation of the feminine and my project became more about materiality.
Many of my experiments failed or were unsuccessful. However it was necessary for me to fail in order to suceed. I enjoyed using latex and dyeing it with beetroot juice.

Marilyn Minter

“…I do try to seduce people with my paintings. I want you to get sucked in by their lusciousness”

   p.17, G. R. Miller et al, 2010

Chewing Pink, 2009

Marilyn Minter - Green Pink Caviar, 2009

•Fluid motions of the tongue and mouth are reflected in the intertwining colour swirls and different levels of light and shine. For example, in Orange Crush, 2009 and Green Pink Caviar, 2009.

Orange Crush, 2009
enamel on metal
108 x180 inches

Berlinde de Bruyckere

I am fascinated by the work of de Bruyckere. She is very much out there with her work and is not afraid to create ridiculously gruesome work.

museumuesum:

Berlinde De Bruyckere

Inside me,

2008-2010,
Cast iron, horse skin, epoxy, iron, wood
328.7 x 244.5 x 126.5 cm / 129 3/8 x 96 1/4 x 49 3/4 in

Berlinde de Bruyckere

berlinde de bruyckere

marthe

2008

(wax, epoxy, metal, mood and glass)

Marc Quinn - Researching Artists

Marc Quinn

No Visible Means of Escape

1996

RTV 74-30 and rope 180 x 60 x 30.5 cm