The body of work, entitled “Cyborg Series,” enjoins plastic, “prosthetic” parts with the “parts” of “flesh and blood” female figures (fashion models and sometimes myself). Each ideally proportioned artificial element becomes a beauty enhancing prosthetic for the female form, creating a type of cyborg creature.
The poses and the paintings in general borrow from advertising not only in the use of commercial icons such as fashion models, but from their simple “layouts,” their manipulative nature, the use of the “teaser ad” and their inference to a newly marketed “product.” This product is somewhat of a dichotomy. First, it continues to perpetuate the notion of woman as object as women have been depicted throughout art history and mass culture, as well as addressing notions of the ideal, physical image (the stance of the “ideal”, Greek Kouros sculpture is also referenced). Secondly, the combination of the two distinct figures births a new cyborg being – one that is empowered and confident in its new body. This is a body that becomes disturbingly more relevant in the wake of artificial transformations and cosmetic enhancements and alterations. The works also question authenticity and the pervasiveness of the synthetic in our world.
The painstakingly crafted and relentlessly worked over surfaces of these paintings create a physical presence which is as sensual as the subjects themselves. The paintings have a very strong sculptural presence coupled with an elegant and tonally subtle manipulation of paint. The subtle, non-expressive brushwork accentuates the nuances of the plastic portions as compared to the human skin, while the sensual surface and color palettes evoke the notion of the feminine.
Ironically, yet disturbingly, the “ideal,” artificial pieces seem to easily merge with human parts within each painting. The ridiculous form and functions of these plastic parts (which reference doll or mannequin figures) seem to parody the ridiculous poses and functions of the fashion model as the model is squeezed into the carefully considered connecting joints. The interchangeable and mass-produced prosthetic parts also parody the mass-produced, commercial images of the models.
Stack Statement:
My sheet metal shirts are created in a former sweatshop along the Jersey Shore in Long Branch. Like my paintings, these shirts investigate mass production and the irony of subject and its material. The pieces evoke armor and a sense of invulnerability, yet are crafted with delicate (feminine) folds and wrinkles. The installation also questions the notions of class as well as our current economic climate and an ultimately useless creation of derivatives and unprofitable American products.
