Secretion and Sex: Kiki Smith and the Abject
Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Artist Statement
Contemporary artist Kiki Smith explores the theme of the female body in new and provocative ways. Smith tries to convey components of the female experience through her use of the abject, the grotesque, and the shocking. Focusing on her sculpture Untitled, I explore her use of bodily fluids and their secretion as a way to speak of the frustrations of the female experience. She follows former examples of artists' representations of the grotesque female body (e.g. photographer Cindy Sherman), and explores not only the abject, but also the idea of control, visceral shame, and bodily self-loathing. While Smith examines an expansive array of topics in this sculpture, the abject as defined by Julia Kristeva proves to be the most important instrument in exploring the frustrations and disenchantment of female existence. Smith lays bare prior objectifications of the body in order to construct a new interpretation of the female experience as a material body. In my research, I examine these topics and how her artistic practice is influenced by her own gender identity and ideas on femininity.
Location
George Wilson Hall
Start Date
6-5-2006 9:00 AM
End Date
6-5-2006 10:45 AM
Secretion and Sex: Kiki Smith and the Abject
George Wilson Hall
Contemporary artist Kiki Smith explores the theme of the female body in new and provocative ways. Smith tries to convey components of the female experience through her use of the abject, the grotesque, and the shocking. Focusing on her sculpture Untitled, I explore her use of bodily fluids and their secretion as a way to speak of the frustrations of the female experience. She follows former examples of artists' representations of the grotesque female body (e.g. photographer Cindy Sherman), and explores not only the abject, but also the idea of control, visceral shame, and bodily self-loathing. While Smith examines an expansive array of topics in this sculpture, the abject as defined by Julia Kristeva proves to be the most important instrument in exploring the frustrations and disenchantment of female existence. Smith lays bare prior objectifications of the body in order to construct a new interpretation of the female experience as a material body. In my research, I examine these topics and how her artistic practice is influenced by her own gender identity and ideas on femininity.