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The “Monstrous Feminine” exemplifies the importance of gender through critically examining the value society places on vanity, consumerism, and the hunt of perfection. This image makes people rethink the outrageous femininity standards while in the construct of woman’s monstrosity. Monstrosity has the effects of beauty on women and as the effect of not being “beautiful” (Ledwich). The risk of having a cord in a bathtub as well as a woman shaving her legs with a power sand machine compared to an average razor is depicted here. A power sand tool is obviously not made for women to be using while they are in the bath tub! The content of this artwork communicate well with the other images because it shows that women are self-inflicted. There is a cultural construct and self preformed engagement with beauty rituals that are destructive and detrimental to their bodies. The unreal expectations in having a perfect body is what brought me to include this. The dehumanizing conditions women go through just to be perceived as “sexy” is extreme. Overall, this image provides no ambiguities, its speaking out about the struggles of practicing the daily grooming of women’s bodies.

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Jessica Ledwich
Photograph

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Braxton Armstrong, Jocelyn . "Jocelyn Braxton Armstrong Ceramics." Jocelyn Braxton Armstrong Ceramics. Accessed April 06, 2017. http://www.jocelynbraxtonarmstrong.com/ceramic-sculpture-installation.
Chicago, Judy. "Elizabeth Blackwell." Brooklyn Museum: Elizabeth Blackwell. Accessed April 06, 2017. https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/place_settings/elizabeth_blackwell.
Kelly , Mary. "Mary Kelly. Post-Partum Document - Generali Foundation." . Post-Partum Document - Generali Foundation. September 16, 2014. Accessed April 06, 2017. http://foundation.generali.at/en/info/archive/2000-1998/exhibitions/mary-kelly-post-partum-document.html.
Ledwich, Jessica. "Monstrous Feminine." Jessica Ledwich. 2014. Accessed April 22, 2017. http://www.jessicaledwich.com/monstrous-feminine.html.
Nengudi, Senga. "MoMA Learning." MoMA | Senga Nengudi. R.S.V.P. I. 1977/2003. 2003. Accessed April 06, 2017. https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/senga-nengudi-r-s-v-p-i-19772003.

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The world is filled with female bodies moving through space, but everyone has a different perspective when they come across a one. Five of these different perspectives are shown in the artworks I have chosen for my exhibit.  Though each perspective varies slightly from the next, they can all be tied together into one subject: feminism. Each artist depicts how women are viewed in society--the inequalities and discriminations they face--by using a variety of objects to represent femininity and the female body.  Together, the exhibition’s pieces create the female body as whole. Each of these parts throughout the five images resemble a figure on a woman's body which parallels with the topic of gender inequality. The aim here is to express the importance of the way people view women bodies. Judging a woman because she has stretch marks across her stomach due to her childbirth is an unjust thing to do. Relaying the importance of the female body for more than its sexual worth is vital to keeping this gender equal and thriving. The dragging down of women's bodies through years of wear and tear is illustrated by the sand weighing down the delicate skin of the panty hose. The wings are being shown to draw attention to girls not having the opportunity to become educated in developing countries. The hanging of the wings show that young women around the world need an equal education to their male counterparts. Whereas in the Post Partum Document, the relationship between a mother and child is reproduced via t-shirts filled with her child’s urine, vomit, stains, etc. The Dinner Party setting for Elizabeth Blackwell is expressed with a controversial depiction of a vagina. Yet, this is showing femininity of the body but not in a vulgar way. Moreover, the last image in the exhibition shows a female using a power sand tool to shave her legs. The concept of Monstrous Feminine is having a burdensome activity, such as shaving one’s legs to be perceived as “pretty”, is laborious on a woman's body. The strenuous activities the female body endures on a daily basis is unknown to anyone but herself.  However, the artists displayed in the exhibition have chosen to share and express these hardships through artworks focused on femininity and female-body positivity. Through art, these artists are able to address the issues they, as women, must face each day.

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The Dinner Party, was an important icon of the feminist art in the 1970s. Outside of this image is a triangular table with thirty-nine place settings, each displaying an important woman from history. The plate that is represented here belongs to Elizabeth Blackwell. The place setting is displayed with runners, utensils, gold chalices, and china plates. The plates sparked controversy because of their vulvar forms exhibiting styles that are well-suited to the individual women being honored (Chicago). The form and content of the artwork communicate a demanding presence on the page. The abstract vagina plate shows there is much more to a woman. Judy Chicago is a crucial artist in this exhibition due to her creativeness behind a simple household item. Chicago adds character and power of the female gentile in an unconformable place setting, the dinner table. This image balances well with the exhibition because it circulates the overall theme of gender inequality. The vibrant colors of Blackwell’s setting exemplifies her handwork to becoming the first female doctor. Finally, the history Blackwell brings along with her name related to HWS is unparalleled to anyone else I had the option of choosing.

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Mary Kelly was interested in a discussion that was happening at the time of second-wave feminism about the way in which women worked in the home. This is a document of the relationship between the mother and child as well as the nature of motherhood. In the “Introduction” she presents her overall main idea: intersubjectivity. She displays this by charting a system of signs on four baby vests. This resembles the complexity, materialistic, and psychic image of the relationship between a mother and child (Kelly). By having diagram inscribed on infant clothing it shows the distinction between intellect and emotion. Kelly points to the different yet intertwined systems through which the concept of motherhood takes shape. What sparked my interest in this image is, the four different shirts, stained in different spots, and what was the meaning behind the symbol on the shirt. The form and content of this exemplifies gender inequality because it displays the daily struggles of what women experience engaging in domestic labor. Overall, this image collaborates with the other work because it goes along with the theme of the inequality of genders and displays itself proudly with four complex baby vests.

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Senga Nengudi expresses her ideas about the human body through performance-based art. In 1975 she created a series called R.S.V.P.: an installation of sand-filled, darkish pantyhose. She decided to work with pantyhose after her first pregnancy where she had witnessed her body rapidly change. Here, the pantyhose were knotted and stretched by binding them to various points on a wall. Nengudi’s aim was to relate to the elasticity of the human body. When women are young, they have dainty and tender bodies, but as they go through the natural process of aging, their bodies get pulled and pushed in many different directions (Nengudi). Our bodies can only handle so many stretches and tugs before it pulls away never returning to the original shape. This artwork communicates well with the theme of gender inequality because it shows the expectations that women face daily. Always being told “No” or “This isn't for you” takes a toll on one's body, so much that it is irreversible. Altogether, this corresponds well with the other works in the exhibition by showing a simple item women use nearly everyday and imbedding significance behind it.

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Jocelyn Braxton-Armstrong created Grounded to be apart of a series called “I Am She”. These two large wings are joined together with a rope to hang on the wall by a nail. She wanted this work to be seen as a statement about girls not being permitted to be educated in developing countries (Braxton-Armstrong). These wings are drawn from the white dove which is a symbol for peace. Braxton-Armstrong had sorted through various intentions of wings to seek the ones that would display the message she is conveying. She mounted these beautiful wings on a pedestal which she then twisted and manipulated into artwork. The simplicity yet strong meaning behind the wings stood out when selecting this image. The content in this artwork communicates well with my exhibition topic because of the meaningful message behind the wings. Braxton-Armstrong was trying to put forth a message about educating girls in developing countries and by doing so, she is relaying a message to globally fix the gender inequality gap. “Grounded” is a beneficial image to the overall exhibition because it provides a whimsical atmosphere that show the empowerment behind women.

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Mary Kelly
Perspex units, white card, wool vests, pencil, ink.

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Senga Nengudi
Pantyhose and sand, 10 pieces

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Jocelyn Braxton-Armstrong
Unglazed translucent porcelain over porcelaineous stoneware, cord, nail

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Elizabeth Blackwell place setting from The Dinner Party, 1974-1979

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Elizabeth Blackwell place setting from The Dinner Party, 1974-1979

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Judy Chicago
Photograph