Fruity
2021
This work focuses on the symbolic use of fruits to represent women and their sexuality. The combination of fruit shaped pillows and rugs depicting nude female figures plays with both the realistic separation and the historic symbolization of these two things.
As for the materials, I have used sensual, soft fabrics to create the basic shapes and applique details of the pillows which were hand sewn together. The rugs were made with a mixture of the same fabrics and colored yarn that was hand tufted using a punch needle, creating a visual and tactile experience. Textile practices tend to be associated with the domestic realm and labelled as women’s work, making the male dominated art world ignore it. In the 1970’s second wave feminism critiqued this history of exclusion and fought to reassert textiles as legitimate art practice. When done by hand, these mediums are incredibly time and labor intensive which adds to the importance of recognizing this craft. By using these materials, I hope to display the artistry in these crafts while also highlighting women’s bodies and sexuality which are often deemed taboo or shameful topics.
The rest of my work often looks at issues of gender and representations of the LGBTQ community based on my life as a queer woman. This particular work is inspired by a variety of historical and modern influences, including the myths like Persephone and the pomegranate. Next, the british slang “fruit,” dating back to at least the 19th century, to describe gay men in particular and the modern reclaiming of “fruity” by the LGBTQ community. As well as the more modern representation of women’s bodies through fruits like pears and being “pear-shaped.” And lastly, the use of cherries to symbolize virginity, and peaches being a representation of butts, especially seen on social media. In the end, I wanted to combine these various concepts to focus on queer women, their sexuality, and the feminine body.
