Minotaura and Her Lovers
Various Dimensions, Black Stoneware, Engobe, Glaze, Hand built, Fired to Cone 6, 2019.
Minotaura, center
5” x 5” x 14”
Primary Lover, right
5” x 10.5” x 5”.
Secondary Lover, left
6” x 5” x 9”.
Various Dimensions, Black Stoneware, Engobe, Glaze, Hand built, Fired to Cone 6, 2019.
Minotaura, center
5” x 5” x 14”
Primary Lover, right
5” x 10.5” x 5”.
Secondary Lover, left
6” x 5” x 9”.
Minotaura and Her Lovers, consists of three organic sculptures. Hand built from black stoneware, the surface is treated with scraffito, using orange, yellow, and red slips. Their forms represent the diversity found in the human body. Curvaceous and robust, they stand independently, bending and leaning towards one another, evoking the idea of sexual relationships. In this work, I explore the theme of diversity and inclusion as it relates to sexual fluidity. I am interested in expressing how sexual orientation exists on a spectrum, where masculinity and femininity can co-exist within an individual. Colour and form work together to symbolically describe the fluidity with which masculinity and femininity can flow from one into the other.
“Minotaura and her Lovers”, is a response to Pablo Picasso’s, “Dora and the Minotaur”, 1936. Picasso’s image is steeped in sexuality, passion, and the male gaze. I feminize the word Minotaur in my work to redistribute the balance of power, to give a feminine voice to an otherwise stereotyped male role. My idea is to make visible and name the female gender as able to commit dominant acts of sex and passion, without removing femaleness. In my work I use the same colours as Picasso’s sky in “Dora and the Minotaur”, because I want my works to embody the ambiance of this scene. Soft, mysterious, exciting, dramatic. The scraffito technique gives an illustrative quality to my work. I use the line to elaborate gender fluidity and reinforce bodily diversity. I include three sculptures to purposefully represent relationships from the polyamorous community.
“Minotaura and her Lovers”, is a response to Pablo Picasso’s, “Dora and the Minotaur”, 1936. Picasso’s image is steeped in sexuality, passion, and the male gaze. I feminize the word Minotaur in my work to redistribute the balance of power, to give a feminine voice to an otherwise stereotyped male role. My idea is to make visible and name the female gender as able to commit dominant acts of sex and passion, without removing femaleness. In my work I use the same colours as Picasso’s sky in “Dora and the Minotaur”, because I want my works to embody the ambiance of this scene. Soft, mysterious, exciting, dramatic. The scraffito technique gives an illustrative quality to my work. I use the line to elaborate gender fluidity and reinforce bodily diversity. I include three sculptures to purposefully represent relationships from the polyamorous community.
