This exhibit is called “Censorship” and it is an expression of femininity and the sexualization of the female form. It is called censorship to highlight the assumption of the sexual nature of female figures and suppression of women throughout history. The eyes represent the prying nature of the male gaze, and to separate them from the rest of the exhibition they are done in a clean, simple art style. The stitching on the mouths represent the suppression of speech and the different stitching represents the different restrictions, the word censor is spelled out in sign language to show how simple it is for language to be an exclusive thing and represent the historical denial of education to women. I wanted to symbolize the objectification and apparent fear of the female figure, by creating a simplistic wood figure representing the female form with a piece being taken out to represent the objectification of he feminine form, underneath symbolizes the “dirty” and hidden part of female biology that is menstruation.
This exhibit is best viewed on a computer. Thank you.
CJ Ortega is a senior at Renaissance High School. They have been taking art classes there for almost 4 years. They enjoy anime and manga and drawing in a cartoonish style. Their art style is reflective of their chaotic and energetic nature.