Curatorial Statement by Erica Criss
Prerequisite: Womanhood 101. Supplemental readings: “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid (1978) and “Be A Lady They Said” by Camille Rainville (2017).
In Womanhood 101 we studied modes of gender socialization, outlined acceptable behavior for the sexes, and saw many attempts to constrain and box in women. Mothers, aunties, and grandmothers passed down rules, unrealistic standards, and conflicting narratives that became reinforced in society through culture and media. Welcome to Womanhood 102 where women speak out. The feminist poems “Girl” (1978) Jamaica Kincaid creates a sharp call and single response—a mother tells her daughter how to behave, and her daughter’s innocent question proves the advice inadequate and “Be A Lady They Said” (2017) Camille Rainville lists prescribed model female behaviors, all contradictory—set the tone. While artists Lesley Bodzy and Katie Commodore's rebellious sculptures, tapestries, paintings, and prints serve as physical retaliation. Students in Womanhood 102 will be asked to critically consider their role within the processes of learning and unlearning.
“You look so old. Look young. Look youthful. Look ageless. Don’t get old. Women don’t get old. Old is ugly. Men don’t like ugly.” - Rainville
In Bodzy’s series FOGO (Fear of Getting Older), she confronts the media’s offensive anti-aging campaigns disregarding women as they age. Newly inflated balloons are encased in silicone and glue to preserve their body's fullness before succumbing to the inevitable. The preservation process highlights what they were trying to avoid—visible signs of deflation. Yet, in their new state, these shriveled and deflated balloons have become more beautiful, more intriguing, and something you want to keep and explore. In her Goddess series, silicone slabs resembling flayed torsos with breasts hang from metal meat hooks - a caveat for the lengths women go through to obtain youth offers a glimpse into the female psyche and the effects these pressures have on women’s self-perception.
“...this is how to hem a dress… to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming.” - Kincaid
Commodore’s intimate tapestry portraits rebel against the labels surrounding women’s sexuality by creating an environment in which her subjects are in full control of how they want to present themselves. Each portrait offers a perspective on what makes real women feel sexy, powerful, and happy. Julia, wearing fishnets and a garter belt, sits in a brightly patterned armchair set against a gold wallpaper with large flowers. She is knitting. The judgments from society have been removed, at least for the short time spent posing for the artist. The decorative aspect of Commodore’s work is meant to represent the subject's personality. Her bold designs and colors command just as much attention as the evocative figures, reminding us that women are more than just their bodies and that their personality is just as beautiful as the physical. Sitting in a downward-facing dog position wearing only panties, Sue is covered head to toe in an ornate motif. By containing the design within the boundaries of the body, Commodore takes away the ability to label women without considering all their aspects.
In Womanhood 102, works by Bodzy and Commodore, alongside print-outs of Rainville and Kincaid’s texts, dismantle impossible standards that women are encouraged to aspire to. Womanhood 102 requires you to consider your own experience with the subject matter. Have you been on the receiving end of these lessons, or have you been a perpetrator? To command the mindset of society, women need to heal from the generations of shared trauma that has negatively affected their self-perception and self-worth. To heal, we must make space for the multiplicities that exist within womanhood and allow it to dominate societal perceptions.