N_PECK_THESIS_FINAL_2020 Drawing The Lines Of Female Sexuality By Nicole Peck BFA Concordia University, 2015 A THESIS SUPPORT PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN 2020 © Nicole Peck, 2020 Abstract This thesis document seeks to explore and expand on the topic of gender and sexuality through representa=onal figura=ve drawing. Specifically focusing on the female-iden=fied form in current society, this thesis inves=gates the plurality of ways in which the gaze, feminist art prac=ces, sexuality, censorship, and historical events have shaped, defined, and condi=oned the percep=on of the female nude in art. By studying and researching the theories behind the gazes, the prac=ce intends to subvert and refuse the masculine gaze, in aGempts to place the feminine queer gaze at the forefront of ar=s=c inquiry. Second wave feminist ar=sts and fourth wave, posIeminist disciplines inspired the direc=on and inten=ons behind the work produced in the MFA program. This thesis paper provides analy=cal support to my explora=on, uncensored. I Table of Contents Abstract I Table of Contents II Acknowledgments III List of Figures IV IntroducSon 1 PosiSon statement 2 1. MulSple Feminisms 3 2. Sexuality 5 3. NavigaSng some of the gazes 6 Male Gaze 6 Female Gaze 10 Queer gaze 13 4. Drawing Processes 15 Photography + Interviews 15 Live modelling + Mirrors 17 Lines + layers 19 5.B(r)easts 21 6. Current Feminist Landscape 28 7. Censorship 31 8. Conclusion 33 Works cited 35 Bibliography 36 II Acknowledgements I have lived all my life on the tradi=onal and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, specifically that of the Musqueum, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh na=ons. From a young age I was introduced to Indigenous culture and the poli=cs that have had a nega=ve historic legacy throughout Canada. Being exposed to these highly relevant conversa=ons and implica=ons from a young age forced me to listen and acknowledge my self-reflexivity as a Canadian seGler. My interest in wan=ng to connect and engage in these colonial histories is evident by my involvement in working in art spaces that provide a plaIorm for Indigenous arts such as The Museum of Anthropology, Macaulay & Co. Fine Art, and in giving or facilita=ng talks at galleries and art events to support further and promote the awareness of indigenous ar=sts. These are small steps but a meaningful way I prac=ce my respect and gra=tude towards the land, peoples and histories that have come before me. I want to thank Sarah Macaulay of Macaulay & Co. Fine Art for being so generous and suppor=ve of my studies in the MFA program. Through the gallery I have met and worked with ar=sts such as Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, Shawn Hunt, Beau Dick, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Charlene Vickers, Walter ScoG, Judy Chartrand, Tyler Bright Hilton, Barb Choit and Jeremy Shaw. I am grateful to have spent =me with these ar=sts and be witness to their bold messages of social jus=ce, culture poli=cs, ac=vism and reimagined worlds through a non-violent protest like art. It is ar=sts like these whose work con=nues to inspire my current ar=s=c prac=ce and research. Members of my family, Mom, Dad, Holly, Dayvde and Koko, I thank you for believing in me and again providing con=nuous support in =mes that have proved difficult and challenging. The LGBTQ community and friends who collaborated with me on projects; Steven, Anita, Alison, Sophia, Sydney, Brynn, Tanya, Jus=n, Natalie, Simone, Ma=sse, Giulia and Ethan. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my supervisor Kyla MalleG for her =me, exper=se and commitment to working with me on this journey from knowing to unknowing and knowing again. I also want to thank faculty members Trish Kelly, Chris Jones, Alla Gadassik, Birthe Piontek, Ingrid Koenig and Randy Lee Cutler for their influence and guidance. This experience has generated and provided knowledge and insight that I will take with me wherever I go. III List of Figures Figure 1. Tom Wesselmann, Smoker #1, 1967, oil on shaped canvas, 108-1/2 x 82-1/2 inches, The Museum of Modern Art © Estate of Tom Wesselmann / Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York / SOCAN, Montréal (2020) Figure 2. Natalie, Mixed media on paper, 8 x 12”, 2018 Figure 3. Simone, Acrylic Ink on paper, 8 x 12”, 2018 Figure 4. Install view of Hardcore Whimsey, mixed media on paper, 2018-2020. Image Credit: Barb Choit Figure 5. Holly, Acrylic Ink on paper, 8 x 11”, 2019 (detail) Figure 6. Sophia, Mixed Media on paper, 11 x 8”, 2018 (detail) Figure 7. Hot wheels, Mixed Media on paper, 22 x 30”, 2019 Figure 8. Install view of Wouldn’t Thou Like To Live Deliciously? Cone of Power, and I’ll Be Your Mirror, graphite on paper, 15 x 20”, 2019. Image Credit: Barb Choit Figure 9. Space Boobs, Ink on paper, 22 x 30”, 2019. Image Credit: Barb Choit Figure 10. AcornDickTiMy, Ink on paper, 22 x 30”, 2020. Image Credit: Barb Choit Figure 11. Marilyn Minter, Cuntrol, 2020. Courtesy of the ar=st and Salon 94, New York Figure 12. Bloobs, Graphite on paper, 30 x 22”, 2019. Image Credit: Barb Choit IV IntroducSon When I started the MFA program at Emily Carr University, I had over 100,000 Instagram followers of my drawings and pain=ngs which examined women and female sexuality in 1 contemporary society. Women and female are used in this context to include female-iden=fied and feminine gender iden==es not exclusive to cis-females or cis-women. This includes trans women, trans females, femme queers, masculine women, genderqueer, two-spirited and more. 2 My ini=al focus was to add my voice to the post-feminist and fourth-wave movement by 3 illustra=ng the power and importance of female sexuality as forms of iden=ty, libera=on and freedom from male hegemony. My work depicted hyper-sexual in=mate portraits and scenarios that explore queer culture, girlhood, desire, and shame. Instagram was a plaIorm to post and share stories that could provoke discussions about sexuality to a wider audience. However, what appeared to me as a coherent thesis focused on the libera=on and empowerment of 4 some women, through the female form in explicit and provoca=ve images, ran afoul with some feminists who interpreted my art as exploi=ve and art that perpetuated the male gaze. Ques=ons were raised from members of Emily Carr University as to whether my art was in fact more exploi=ve than empowering. Clearly, there was a divergence in interpreta=on and acceptance of my art between the Instagram followers and the academic community. Since 2015, I have accumulated up to 108,000 followers for my account @bonercandy69. 1 This is an expanded defini=on of the terms Woman/Women and Female. In this thesis, I hope to be respecIul and inclusive in how I 2 incorporate the language behind women and female sexuality as I understand that this is a broadened category on the spectrum of gender iden=ty and expression. I will elaborate about post-feminism and the forth-wave online movement in sec=on 2. Feminism and 4. Current Feminist Landscapes. My 3 work posted to Instagram gained lots of momentum in 2015-16, and I was asked to par=cipate in a post-feminist group exhibi=on in New York en=tled, “ HoGer than July- Hands off my Cuntry” curated by Savannah Spirit. The exhibi=on highlighted women’s rights and was a visual protest against Donald Trump’s nomina=on to President of the United States. Held days before the inaugura=on, the exhibi=on was well received with media coverage by Forbes, Huffington Post, Dazed and Confused, Vice and was men=oned on Bill Maher’s Talk Show. From this experience, I connected with interna=onal feminists and ar=sts who shared similar views on censorship, ero=cs, and poli=cs. This word has various defini=ons and can mean something different to anyone who speaks it. In this wri=ng, I define empowerment as 4 strength, agency, choice and freedom. 1 The aGempt to reconcile these two very different communi=es required me to abandon my pain=ng prac=ce and concentrate exclusively on drawing to focus on the various manifesta=ons of female-iden=fied sexuality. Extensive research and inves=ga=on resulted in dissa=sfac=on and lack of conclusion but more insight into feminism, objec=fica=on, and the contradic=ons inherent in the gazes . As I con=nue to study and research the history and 5 philosophy behind feminist art prac=ces, I find communica=ng an ar=s=c message through the medium of drawing is not only efficient and effec=ve but valuable to the furtherance of experimenta=on and development to my art prac=ce. In my work I examine under what condi=ons the act of drawing can empower female sexuality. I acknowledge that my interest in crea=ng a reimagined vision of the feminine body can also be viewed as reduc=ve and s=fling to the libera=on of some gender iden==es and cis- women outside of the white narra=ve. As a white, young and privileged, queer and cis-woman, I understand what is at stake and the limita=ons of my ar=s=c inves=ga=on and representa=on of sexuality. I recognize that the ques=ons I ask and the asser=ons I make may not be an op=on for all women in communi=es around the world. I am aware of the hierarchical structures I am a part of and the implica=ons of represen=ng communi=es outside of my experience as this can lead to further exploita=on and disingenuous misrepresenta=ons. I focus on my personal experiences that have shaped my understanding of the world around me subject to this recogni=on and acknowledgment. In my research I reflect on my own body image and how many women are affected by unrealis=c and idealized portrayals from a young age. I also acknowledge that my vision and depic=on of empowerment and sexuality can perpetuate more stereotypes and patriarchal ways of "objec=fying" female bodies. However, I hope that by I will elaborate on some of the various gazes I inves=gate in my work in sec=on 3. NavigaPng the Gazes5 2 con=nuing to inves=gate sexuality through various forms of drawing, I can strengthen my feminist voice as an ar=st, and support other voices that are part of this feminist movement. In this thesis, I review an ar=s=c progression through a series of drawings and discuss how they differ in theory, method and methodology, and form a connected and progressive journey. MulSple Feminisms Feminism is a word that has many defini=ons, intersec=ons and connota=ons. There are different waves and forms of feminism that both inspire and cri=que present and past movements. According to feminist theorist Sara Ahmed, “feminism as a collec=ve movement is made out of how we are moved to become feminists in dialogue with others. A movement requires us to be moved”(Ahmed 2017:4). My interest in the feminist narra=ve stems from 6 fourth-wave feminism, second-wave feminist ar=sts, queer and post-feminist disciplines. The first-wave movement in the 1920s granted women the right to vote. It also offered women possibili=es for work outside the domes=c home in spaces tradi=onally occupied by men while they were at war. First wave suffrageGes based in the United States worked and fought for poli=cal freedom and equality. However, their poli=cs were not universal or intersec=onal. The second-wave feminist movement, also known as the women's libera=on movement in the 1960-80s, provided women with a strong poli=cal and social plaIorm to fight for reproduc=on rights, equal pay, sexual libera=on and challenged patriarchy. This wave gave rise to the phrase “the personal is poli=cal,” which suggests that women and their experiences are entwined with Ahmed, Sara. Living a Feminist Life. , 2017. Print.6 3 power structures. During this wave in 1963, BeGy Friedan’s book The Feminine MysPque shed 7 light on dissa=sfied social/gender roles, specifically those of middle to upper-class white housewives and mothers as “the problem that has no name”(Friedan 1963). Although there 8 were many pioneering works produced from feminists and ar=sts at this =me, they neglected to recognize and acknowledge voices beyond the privileged white narra=ve. In 1990, third-wave feminism emerged as a reac=on and response to second-wave feminism. Third-wave feminism campaigned to further encourage intersec=onality, an=-essen=alism, post-colonialism, gender/ queer iden=ty and fought against workplace harassment and stereotypical patriarchal ideas of femininity. Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Kimberlé Crenshaw and Judith Butler are notable figures in this movement. Their wri=ng on feminism brought forward and challenged issues of the gender binary, intersec=onal diversity and essen=alism perpetuated in second-wave feminism. This movement gave rise to fourth-wave feminism, which developed in the 21st century advoca=ng against sexual harassment, body-shaming, slut-shaming and worked to secure sex-worker rights and gender iden=ty. The fourth-wave became a global and broader movement in that it pushed feminism towards suppor=ng more intersec=onal causes. Post-feminism, which I will outline in sec=on 4, is a type of feminism that cri=ques past feminisms and exists online through hashtag ac=vism, adver=sements and consumer culture. Some forms of post-feminism promote controversial ideas of empowerment, sexual libera=on, and confidence through online commercial campaigns (Banet-Weiser 2018). Although the various forms of feminism differ from each other, they share the common feminist doctrine to fight against gender inequality, sexism and to explore and examine alterna=ve ways to cri=que patriarchy. Judith Butler further analyzes this phrase in PerformaPve Acts and Gender ConsPtuPon: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory p. 7 522-525 Friedan, BeGy. The Feminine Mys=que. New York :Norton, 19638 4 Sexuality Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth, MisconcepPons, and The Vagina: A Biography, states that according to feminist writer Germaine Greer, “women will be free when 9 they have a posi=ve defini=on of sexuality”(Wolf 1990:160). Female sexuality presents itself in a plurality of ways, which makes it unique, elusive, and mysterious. Because of these complexi=es, female sexuality has been feared, shamed, and controlled by the patriarchy. In Wolf’s book, The Vagina: A Biography, she declares, “Female sexual pleasure, rightly understood, is not just about sexuality, or just about pleasure. It serves, also, as a medium of female self-knowledge and hopefulness; female crea=vity and courage; female focus and ini=a=ve; female bliss and transcendence; and as medium of a sensibility that feels very much like freedom.” (Wolf 2012:7). In this context, I think about how my sexuality shapes my iden=ty and crea=ve expression. Sexuality has many complex connec=ons but can be effec=vely communicated through various forms of art and ac=vism. Though the medium of drawing, I explore the various ar=s=c techniques in which sexually confident and self-determined feminine bodies are respected and treated as equals rather than objec=fied for male visual pleasure. While it is argued by many feminists that we can never en=rely escape the male gaze because we live in a patriarchal system, I have experimented with techniques to determine if the male gaze can be challenged and subverted by the female gaze or queer gaze. I address this topic by asking the ques=on: is there any way to depict a sexually confident and liberated female-iden=fied nude in art or will the image always be subject to scru=ny and cri=cism of objec=fica=on and exploita=on? Moreover how Germain Greer was widely recognized for her profound book, The Female Eunuch9 5 can social media plaIorms like Instagram or public spaces such as art galleries allow for the discussion and possibili=es of another gaze in contemporary art and society? NavigaSng some of the Gazes Male Gaze The male gaze is the viewpoint in which women are sexualized as objects of desire by the masculine gaze. Laura Mulvey, a vital film cri=c, coined the term male gaze in her profound and controversial essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narra=ve Cinema” in 1975. Mulvey discusses the gaze of the male spectator from a psychoanaly=c Freudian approach in response to how mass media has depicted the female form. Mulvey structures the male gaze in a triangular forma=on between the spectator (audience), the person behind the lens (cameraman), and the subjects or objects on set. Mulvey states, “the determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure, which is styled accordingly. In their tradi=onal exhibi=onist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and ero=c impact”(Mulvey 1975:62). These masculine fantasies or desires manifest from many film techniques like voyeurism and stereotyping to spark responses in male spectators and the fe=shized object on display. John Berger, the author of Ways of Seeing, analyzes the rela=onship between women in society and pop culture. He states: “Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at… The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the surveyed female. Thus she turns herself into an object.”(Berger 1972:47) This concept is especially relevant today as we are living 6 in an image-obsessed digital era bombarded by adver=sements, social media, fashion statements and unrealis=c beauty standards. These standards of beauty are outlined in Naomi Wolf’s book, The Beauty Myth, and are aggressively directed towards women through the influence of mass media. Wolf states that some of these beauty ideals are promoted through the “mul=billion-dollar die=ng industry,” a rise in plas=c surgery (specifically breast augmenta=on), beauty cosme=cs (an=-aging creams) and soy and hard-core pornography (Wolf 1990: 2,3-17). Popular culture depends on the overly sexualized imagery of women in adver=sements to sell their products. Because of this, some women have felt that their sexuality has been taken away from them and sold back through hyper-sexual and violent pornographic content. From my perspec=ve, contemporary ar=sts who incorporate pornographic references in their work are poli=cal and courageous. Some important ar=sts that use this controversial aesthe=c are Lisa Yuskavage, Marilyn Minter, Sue Williams, Ghada Amer, Marlene Dumas, and BeGy Tompkins. In this sec=on, I examine two ar=sts who exemplify problema=c representa=ons of the male gaze in their work. Although the work of Lisa Yuskavage and Tom Wesselmann are indica=ve of the male gaze, both their perspec=ves and pain=ngs have contributed to this ongoing cri=cal debate in contemporary art. Yuskavage paints curious, sexually charged and sensual women in a world of their own, oyen in a state of dressing, undressing and examining their bodies. Her hyper-sexual portraits of women are doll-like as she elaborately distorts their breasts, buGocks, pregnant stomachs, and hips. Male produced pornographic imagery taken from Penthouse Magazine makes up most of Yuskavage’s reference material for her work. Many feminists, art cri=cs and curators within the Western art market argue that this type of representa=on is objec=fying and con=nues to support male gaze depic=ons of women. While 7 some of her representa=ons of the female nude adhere to the male gaze, it is her process and transforma=on of stereotypical imagery into pain=ngs that open possibili=es towards another gaze. Her pain=ngs, whether created in gouache, watercolour or oils are systema=cally thought- out through applica=on, colour and stylis=c techniques. Yuskavage provokes ques=ons about desire, ways of looking and con=nues to walk the thin line of unseGling, controversial and explicit female representa=ons and social acceptance. Her composi=ons are sensual, compelling and leave the viewer ques=oning if what they just experienced was exploita=ve, ero=c or feminist. Although many male ar=sts receive cri=cism for their interpreta=on of the female experience, I reference their artwork in my own art prac=ce in an aGempt to challenge the male gaze. This, of course, raises the ques=on how studying male ar=sts alters the way female- iden=fied ar=sts intend to reclaim their body in their own representa=on. Wesselmann, a pop ar=st renowned for his treatment of colour, form, social commentary and historical iconography of the American Sexual Revolu=on reveals his male gaze through his voyeuris=c perspec=ve of the ideal Western female nude. His subjects are presented in the bedroom, nude, with exaggerated tan lines and legs spread wide open. Breasts and nipples are portrayed perky, symmetrical and rose coloured to signify youth and beauty. He weaves between pain=ng his desire and his muses’ sexual pleasure to both par=es sa=sfac=on. Many of his pain=ngs are close-up and cropped with open-mouthed smiling red lips signifying an oral fixa=on and state of ecstasy. Furthermore, his Smoker Series (Figure 1.) is a blatant sexist representa=on of oral fixa=on. Wesselmann’s use of contour, outlines and posi=ve and nega=ve space create bold 8 methodical forma=ons intended to seduce the viewer. Although his composi=ons are uniquely original, his work is highly problema=c due to his objec=fica=on and stereotypical representa=ons of female sexuality. His work glamourizes patriarchal dominance over women’s bodies as he adver=ses them like consumer goods. I bring forward Tom Wesselmann in this thesis as I believe his work has provoked extensive commentary from contemporary ar=sts aGemp=ng to reclaim their body and subvert the male gaze. (Figure 1.) Tom Wesselmann, Smoker #1, 1967, oil on shaped canvas, 108-1/2 x 82-1/2 inches, The Museum of Modern Art © Estate of Tom Wesselmann / Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York / SOCAN, Montréal (2020) 9 Female Gaze The female gaze is the refusal to the domina=on of the male gaze, where the aGempt is not to objec=fy the woman but to posi=on woman as subject. This opposi=onal gaze encourages and promotes ways to portray feminine subjects independent of the male gaze in art and popular culture. The feminist challenge to the male gaze is an aGempt to re-learn how to look at women in art. In response to Laura Mulvey’s male gaze, Jill Soloway, writer and creator of the television series Transparent, I Love Dick and author of She Wants It, discusses a term defined as the female gaze at a talk at the Toronto Interna=onal Film Fes=val in 2006. Similar to Mulvey’s triangular structuring, Soloway deconstructs the female gaze into three parts: a way of feeling seeing; the gazed gaze or how it feels to be seen; and finally, returning the gaze (Soloway 2016). Through an inspiring and informa=onal speech, Soloway elaborates on how one can alter the gaze in represen=ng the female body in art, mass media and contemporary culture. This paradigm shiy has resulted in a rise of female-iden=fied ar=sts 10 depic=ng the female form on their own terms to break open the boundaries of the patriarchal gaze. In the book, Girl on Girl: Art and Photography in the Age of the Female Gaze, author CharloGe Jansen interviews 40 female photographers from 17 different countries. She focuses on experiences from a female photographer’s point of view in response to taking pictures of their female subjects. The photographers interviewed in this book describe the varied ways to portray complex emo=ons, inclusive bodies and vulnerable narra=ons. Zing Tsjeng, editor of Broadly Magazine gives insight on this book as she states in the forward, “A woman taking a Talks, TIFF. “Jill Soloway On The Female Gaze | MASTER CLASS | TIFF 2016”. YouTube, YouTube, 11 Sept. 201610 10 photograph of a woman isn’t just performing a poli=cal act; it is also a powerful act of imagina=on”(Jansen 2017: 7). Her asser=ons on Jansens project are to pay aGen=on to inclusivity and agency among women as the book aims to highlight some of the different ways to look at women(8). Because of the problema=c history of women objec=fied as a desirable muse for the male creator, this book embraces and celebrates how more women are taking control of their bodies, iden==es and subject maGer as ar=sts. My interest in photography not only complements my prac=ce by adding more layers to the process but adds more visual and sensory informa=on to the work. I have used photography in the past to help develop and correct realis=c propor=ons of figures and connect environmental composi=ons. Through my experimenta=on and research with photography, I can understand the arguments and contradic=ons that accompany how female-iden=fied ar=sts depict women through their point of view behind the lens of the camera. Feminist pioneer Carolee Schneemann is vital to my prac=ce as her work deals with sexual imagery and the naked female body. I connect Soloway’s no=on of “seeing feeling” to Schneemann's performances as they state the female gaze is“reclaiming the body, using it with inten=on to communicate Feeling Seeing”(Soloway 2016: 17:34). Emo=on and feeling are exemplified in Schneemann’s visceral performances as she uses her body to paint traces of 11 internal movement and kine=c energy that emanates from within. In her acts, Schneemann responds to the cultural moment of her =me and pushes back against Mulvey’s male gaze to reclaim her naked body. Furthermore, she challenges the male gaze by celebra=ng feminine sexual power and pleasure by connec=ng her body to the ero=c. In the performance, Interior Schneemann considers herself a painter as she came from a classical pain=ng prac=ce prior to her performance work where she uses her 11 body to paint traces in and onto her surroundings. She uses her body as a paint brush to leave markings on the wall, floor, and on par=cipants involved in her performances. 11 Scroll, 1977, Schneemann uses her body as a way to communicate sacred interior knowledge as she reads a passage from a scroll pulled out from her vulva. The passages wriGen on the scroll outline the blatant sexism and double standards con=nuously faced by women in the art world (MIT Press 2002:153). In my drawings, the subjects are best presented naked as I aGempt to cast a light on the sexual double standards that patriarchal systems have established for women. Nudity or nakedness is an essen=al visual mo=f in my portrayal of feminine representa=on. Similar to Schneemann, I incorporate the naked form to challenge objec=fica=on in current society. I find Schneemann’s work relevant as it has influenced contemporary ar=sts to respond to the feminist environment and the male gaze in their aGempt to reclaim their bodies. Ar=sts like Erin M. Riley, Leah Schrager, Shona McAndrew, Stacy Leigh, Jen Mann, Ness Lee and Bianca Nemelc focus their representa=on on the naked body in response to censorship, the male gaze and the poli=cs of the ero=c. In their work, they use the classical theme of the reclined bedroom nude but from the female point of view. Some of the objects surrounding the bedroom are indica=ve of the =mes, not unlike Wesselmann, and feature items like laptops, iPhones, movie posters, books, selfie-s=cks, feminine products like birth control or tampons and vibrators. However, the women portrayed in these bedroom scenes differ from Tom Wesselmann’s reclined female nudes in that they are represented as real bodies that many women can iden=fy with. For example, some scenes feature women of all sizes, ethnici=es and sexuali=es, with taGoos, acne or cellulite, wearing face masks or in a state of grooming. 12 The Queer Gaze The queer gaze performs on a similar yet different level than the female gaze. While some gazes act as a response or denial to specific ways of looking others are deeply rooted and can crossover and connect. According to Soloway, the female gaze is not strictly =ed to women but encompasses “the non-gaze, the other gaze, the queer gaze and intersec=onal gaze”( Soloway 2016: 41:43). In this instant, Soloway suggests that the female gaze, which can also iden=fy as the queer gaze, can be taken up by folks that do not necessarily iden=fy as cis- females. The fact that the female gaze has been coined by someone who iden=fies as non- binary and gender non-conforming also adds to the various intersec=ons and intertwined complica=ons of the gazes. The crossing over of possibili=es and entangled nature of feminine sexuality is inherent in Elizabeth Wright’s analysis of Lacan and PosIeminism. In her book she states, “biological differen=a=ons are inadequate. Too many people seem to cross over: there are biological males with feminine structures and biological females with masculine structures”. ( Wright 2000: 54) Masculinity and femininity are gender no=ons studied and 12 theorized by American gender theorist Judith Butler. In her work, Gender Trouble, Butler argues that gender iden=ty is constructed from “stylized repe==on of acts" and “performa=vely cons=tuted by the very ‘expressions’ that are said to be its results”( Butler 1999). In this 13 instant, Butler suggests that iden=ty is produced by repeated ac=on and behaviour based on ingrained social structures and rela=onal models. Thus through conscious performances, individuals can reclaim their power and restructure their gender experience to create iden=ty and shiy social norms. Wright, Elizabeth. Lacan and PosIeminism. Cambridge: Icon Books Ltd, 2000. Print.12 Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Iden=ty. London, Routledge: 1999 (p. 33, 179)13 13 Queer theorist Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, states in Tendencies that “queer refers to the open mesh of possibili=es, gaps, overlaps, dissonances, and resonances, lapses and excesses of meaning when cons=tuent elements of anyone’s gender, of anyone’s sexuality aren’t made ( or can’t be made) to signify monolithically.” Rather than responding to any dominant gaze and 14 possibly sexual orienta=on, the queer gaze embraces ambiguity, difference and universal rela=onality. This no=on of difference deconstructs the absolute binaries and challenges heteronorma=ve structures. As my prac=ce comes from a queer perspec=ve as in, how I define my sexuality, I must consider how my gaze and depic=ons translate not only to heterosexual women and men, but also the LGBTQ community. I navigate contradic=ons as a queer cis-woman, as my work intercepts and weaves through both aspects of the female and queer gaze. In addi=on, I incorporate female gaze concepts men=oned by Soloway in artwork where I intend to celebrate queer desire and posi=on woman-iden=fied as subject rather than object. In sec=on 5 en=tled, B(r)east, I elaborate on how this art series aGempts to capture what a queer female gaze "imagines itself” to be. Sedgwick, Eve K. Tendencies. Durham: Duke University Press, 1993. Print.14 14 Drawing Process Interviews + Photography Ini=ally, I incorporated interdisciplinary approaches such as photography, digital collage, recorded interviews and perspec=ve drawings to create a depic=on worthy of the female gaze. In the first semester, I photographed and interviewed models with pre-determined ques=ons. 15 The conversa=ons were recorded in a safe space where the models and I could talk freely 16 about experiences or issues involving sexual iden=ty. This process formed a circle of care, kinship and solidarity through the act of listening and storytelling. The dialogue was essen=al as it deepened my understanding of the subject and the emo=ons expressed by their body language and movement. As I drew each model with ink, I focused on the shape of their body, complex facial expression and strength emana=ng from self-directed poses. In a series of 10 mixed-media portraits, I aGempted to depict strong emo=on and personality alongside the sexually empowered poses of each model. The bonding experience between the model and the ar=st was collabora=ve; however 17 in retrospect, I portrayed them in a way that was counter-produc=ve to what I originally had intended. While I enjoyed working with women between the ages of 20 to 36 for the first In this project, I worked with 12 friends and acquaintances. I have referred to them as models in this paper.15 The spaces alternated between my apartment, a photography studio in East Vancouver, and the model’s apartments. The use 16 of the word “safe” indicates that there was no judgment, shame, or censoring in the discussion. The interview was personal and vulnerable, with both myself and the model sharing the experience. Collabora=on, in this regard, is outlined through both par=es involved in the project. The poses were determined and 17 explored by the model with ligh=ng direc=on from the ar=st. Ayer the photoshoot, both the ar=st and model organized the pictures together and picked the top five, which the ar=st would use as a reference to draw the final image. 15 series, I was reminded of the problema=c male-dominated history of how men have photographed or painted young women in the past. The models were encouraged to take up 18 any desired posi=on that would emanate individual empowerment without shame or s=gma. This process was challenging as the models chose to pose in hyper-sexualized and self- objec=fying posi=ons. Although I firmly believe in sex-posi=ve self-expression, I found myself 19 confused and in a state of contradic=on between my research and ar=s=c intent and the results of my work. Here, I think about how ar=sts such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Ma=sse, Claude Manet and Albrecht Dürer objec=fied and 18 exploited their young muses through pain=ng and drawing. According to the Interna=onal Society for Sexual Medicine, the term “sex posi=ve” can be interpreted in different ways. For 19 most, it involves having posi=ve a~tudes about sex and feeling comfortable with one’s own sexual iden=ty and with the sexual behaviours of others. “Interna=onal Society for Sexual Medicine.” Accessed January 25, 2020. hGps://www.issm.info/. 16 Figure 2. Natalie, Mixed media on paper, 8 x 12”, 2018 Figure 3. Simone, Acrylic Ink on paper, 8 x 12”, 2018 Live modelling + Mirrors In an aGempt to reconcile these ar=s=c results, I loosened my approach from a more realis=c figura=ve representa=on to minimalis=c ink drawing. The figures and subjects became less detailed but more stylized. In this new inves=ga=on, I used repe==on, live-model drawing and mirrors in my aGempt to challenge a pre-medita=ve and structured way of working with photography. The prac=ce became less focused on the final outcome and more centred on the free flowing process of drawing. The figures, including myself, were hand-drawn numerous =mes to memorize the gesture of drawing the body on paper. This was incredibly helpful in my aGempt to loosen up and lose control. I interchanged between two-to-five minute drawings, ten-to-twenty minute drawings and thirty minute drawings. By changing the speeds of various poses, the mo=on became the focus rather than refining a detailed photo-realis=c rendering. Accentua=ng the form and movement of each subject became an effec=ve way to give agency to the body illustrated. The sexuality expressed from the subjects was recorded through overlapping layers of thick or thin paint outlines and paGerns. This ongoing series features 50 drawings exhibited as a constella=on rather than a linear grid. By presen=ng the drawings in this style, the audience can make connec=ons with the drawings without the influence of a linear or hierarchal order. For me, the figures depicted In Hardcore Whimsey ( Figure 4.) reinforced the importance of female-iden=fied sexual freedom. 17 18 Figure 5. Holly, Acrylic Ink on paper, 8 x 11”, 2019 (detail) Figure 6. Sophia, Mixed Media on paper, 11 x 8”, 2018 (detail) Figure 4. Install view of Hardcore Whimsey, mixed media on paper, 2018-2020. Image Credit: Barb Choit Lines + Layers Drawing is an effec=ve medium to portray female sexuality as the process is in=mate, messy and personal as well as =me-efficient. In the drawing Hot Wheels (Figure 7.), I introduce a new arrangement of contour lines, shapes, and styles that allow for a more in-depth reading of the images. Rather than collabora=ng with models for this specific series, I portray myself. As I place myself in the role of subject, I focus on the curvatures of my body and state of mind while I draw. I incorporate accessible and straighIorward materials in my depic=ons, such as graphite and ink, to connect the viewer to an adolescent =me in their life where they were discovering their sexuality. Graphite is simple yet versa=le and depending on pressure one can create smooth, sensi=ve shapes, jagged, rough sketches or sharp emphasized lines to achieve varied tonal marks. The graphite tonal shading soyens the harsh contour ink outlines and gives weight, density and dimension to the lines. Helene McDonald, author of EroPc AmbiguiPes; The Female Nude in Art examines and challenges representa=on of the female body through history, feminism, queer studies and future specula=ons. Ambiguity, according to McDonald, is “an effect of representa=onal processes, a complica=on, a blurring, an uncertainty or vagueness”(McDonald 2001: 14). McDonald claims deconstruc=on of the female body though ambiguous representa=on is one of the many posi=ve ways to depict the body in contemporary art (McDonald 2001:5,12-14). Ambiguity in this case, encourages a different way of looking; one that proposes more complex and conceptual interpreta=ons of feminine sexuality. Her stance is to push the boundaries of inclusivity and diversity to reject the idealized and patriarchal vision of a beau=ful female body. One can argue that this in fact is not only taking up the aspects of the female gaze, but the 19 difference in the queer gaze. Hot Wheels (Figure 7.) is influenced by McDonald’s thesis as the bodies overlap and transform from solid to translucent forms as they intertwine with the architecture of the background. The bodies create an illusionis=c effect where the pictorial perspec=ve breaks in areas and the physical form is reduced to the line. In this artwork, the viewer is ley to ques=on where the body begins, ends and where does the connec=on start. This work further inves=gates the layered technique which also gives rise to confusing emo=ons that can be hard to define like sexuality. In this series, I aGempt to reinforce the female gaze and queer gaze and underscore this point through ambivalent, ambiguous but sexual renderings. 20 Figure 7. Hot wheels, Mixed Media on paper, 22 x 30”, 2019 In one of her essays, “The Uses of Ero=c", queer feminist ac=vist and poet Audre Lorde suggests that ero=c knowledge is gained through curiosity, acknowledging the feeling of emo=on and connec=on. Audre Lorde’s wri=ng focuses on iden=ty and social injus=ces, specifically around systems of race, class, gender and sexuality. Her work is mul=-dimensional and informa=ve. Lorde claims that patriarchal systems distort the meaning of the ero=c and use it against women as a tool for oppression(Lorde 1984:53). I am interested in bringing Lorde’s essay into the work by inves=ga=ng this no=on of the ero=c and how it can be used as a mechanism to “create change.” Lorde also states that, “The ero=c is a resource within each of us that lies in a deeply female and spiritual plane, firmly rooted in the power of our unexpressed or unrecognized feeling” (Lorde 1984:53). This is essen=al to my work as I 20 aGempt to depict the desire, emo=onal connec=on and sexual libera=on experienced through female interac=on. B(r)east I am interested in the parts of the body that are fe=shized and over-sexualized by society, such as the female nipple. I think about how these parts of the body are constructed, censored and sexualized to control ones sexuality. According to feminist historian Marilyn Yalom, the breast “has been coded with “good” and “bad” connota=ons since the beginning of recorded =me”(Yalom 1997: 4). These connota=ons of the breast can be seen through representa=ons of motherhood, goddesses, dei=es and libera=on, while at other =mes the bare chest associates the woman as a harlot, witch, femme fatale or monstrous figure. The exposed breast and nipple are represented in historical depic=ons in art where women are reclining Lorde, Audre. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. “The Uses of The Erotics: The Erotics as Power”, p.53. Trumansburg, 22 20 NY#Crossing Press, 1984. 21 nude in a bedroom, bathing in a tub, riding a brooms=ck, gazing into the mirror, nursing a child or standing with the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Whether the woman is passively or sugges=vely posing, she has been historically conveyed by the male point of view. Yalom states in her book, A History of The Breast, “from the outside, the breast represents another reality, and one that varies in the eyes of each beholder. babies see food. Men see sex. Doctors see disease. Businessmen see dollar signs. Religious authori=es transform breasts into spiritual symbols, whereas poli=cians appropriate them for na=onalis=c ends. Psychoanalysts place them at the centre of the unconscious, as if they were unchanging monoliths. This mul=plicity of meanings suggests the breast’s privileged place in the human imagina=on” (Yalom 1997:275 ). This argument is essen=al to my recent series ( seen through Figures 8-11.) as I explore the ever- so-changing meanings and associa=ons behind the breast. The breast nourishes and comforts the young and is generally the first form one will see when they enter the world. In today's society, the bare nipple can immediately result in cri=cism, scru=ny and objec=fica=on. In fact, nipples shared and posted to digital and social media plaIorms like Instagram con=nue to be censored and banned. In feminist art, revealing or "freeing the nipple” is a protest against the status quo and an act of poli=cal and sexual 21 resistance. By both examining and drawing the breast, I acknowledge and explore my own gender iden=ty and sexual experience. In my work, I draw the breast using various techniques to alter both its form and meaning in the context of the current environment and by doing so change the gaze. This campaign received media attention globally in 2012, and with the production of the 2014 movie, "Free The Nipple” directed 21 by Lina Esco, became a viral hashtag on the internet and social media platforms. #FreeTheNipple includes exposing one's areola in public as well as one's right and refusal to wear a bra. 22 In the series B(r)east, I moved away from sketching a perfect and accurate rendering of a female body. Moving towards a more ambiguous depic=on of the nude has enabled me to portray liberated sexuality in a way that operates beyond the male gaze. The change was essen=al and necessary for my prac=ce as I shiy the focus on depic=ng feminine sexuality from the surface or exterior of the body towards a more embodied interior. To further explain this thought, I use memory, impulse and imagina=on to express sexuality through surreal figura=ve drawing. By altering the method, the narra=ve changes from the representa=on of a one- dimensional woman to the various components that make up a woman. One-Dimensional, a term coined by cultural theorist Nina Powers in her book, “One-Dimen=onal Woman” is based 22 on philosopher Herbert Marcuse’s book “One-Dimensional Man”. She claims this one-23 dimensional woman is a type of feminist who is posi=ve, upbeat, and superficial. In my work, this one-dimensional aspect is seen through my very specific and limi=ng representa=ons. I recognize that although the bodies I have drawn in the past are sex-posi=ve and queer members of my community, they are white, middle class, thin and within the ages of 20 to 36. Although this representa=on is the closest to my experience, I acknowledge that these depic=ons can s=ll be interpreted and cri=qued within the queer community as exclusive, limi=ng and essen=alist. I am also aware that many of the cri=ques I have received represen=ng feminine sexual desire and celebra=on have come from a heterosexual perspec=ve. In the future, I plan to strengthen a deeper connec=on with my queer subjec=vity and how I collaborate and communicate with members of the queer community. Power, Nina. One-dimensional Woman. Winchester, UK: 0 [Zero] Books, 2009. Print.22 Marcuse, Herbert. One-dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology of Advanced Industrial Society. Boston: Beacon Press, 1991. 23 Print. 23 In this series of graphite drawings, ( Figure 8.) I present a different and re-imagined way of looking at the female nipple. The breasts are portrayed as natural body parts and subjects, full of emo=on and personality. By adding human-like quali=es to the breast, I aGempt to normalize and de-sexualize the s=gma around the nipple. Giving breasts anthropomorphic quali=es allows the viewer to feel a greater sense of empathy and reflect on their subjec=vity. The breasts hold agency, whether they are looking at their reflec=on in the mirror, gazing out the window, grooming, smelling a flower or conversing. There is a humorous and whimsical quality to them, where they are detached from bodies and exist as their own en=ty. Through my current drawing process, I consider how we can acknowledge the breast without objec=fica=on or condemna=on. In my inves=ga=on, I think about why breasts are considered so powerful and threatening that they need to be kept hidden. 24 Figure 8. Install view of Wouldn’t Thou Like To Live Deliciously? Cone of Power, and I’ll Be Your Mirror, graphite on paper, 15 x 20”, 2019. Image Credit: Barb Choit As I weave between different styles of drawing, I think about how my process and materials translate into sexuality, ambiguity and the ero=cs. I look to American ar=st Sue Williams as she paints arrangements of strikingly bold and bright doodles of male and female genitalia. These forms are abstracted with lines missing, marks smudged and colours bleeding across the surface of the canvas. Forms are distorted through nega=ve and posi=ve space as a metaphorical way to emphasize the division between what is visible and invisible. Her poli=cal view is both confronta=onal and discrete and is in direct response to patriarchal toxicity, the sexualiza=on of women and the control of female bodies (Jrp|Ringier 2015). One can see this reference though her sexually ero=c scenes of violence, harassment and misogyny directed toward women in abject cartoon forms. I am par=cularly interested in how she plays with control, fluidity and spontaneous line-work as she ques=ons the problema=c representa=on of gender in the art world. The work Space Boobs ( Figure 9.) is drawn me=culously using three different black ink pens on grey 22 x 30-inch paper. The rectangular drawing features mul=ple uncensored breasts and free-flowing nipples. This piece is playful as it is poli=cal and is concerned with maximizing freedom of self-expression and self-surveillance. The rendered complex forms seek to explore 24 the posi=ve and ero=c power of feminine sexuality. The hand-drawn breasts vary in propor=on to acknowledge the difference in bodies and iden==es. It is important that the breast is rendered in a way that deviates from being perfect, ideal or gendered to represent beGer the complex nature of bodies and societal diversity. This term is outlined in John Berger’s Ways Of Seeing. Berger, John, and Michael Dibb. London: BBC Enterprises, 24 1972 25 26 Figure 10. AcornDickTiMy, Ink on paper, 22 x 30”, 2020. Image Credit: Barb Choit Figure 9. Space Boobs, Ink on paper, 22 x 30”, 2019. Image Credit: Barb Choit In her book, The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity, and Sexuality, Lynda Nead discusses how the patriarchy and Western society control women’s sexuality because it is something that is feared. There is a patriarchal system in place that is meant to disempower the woman and subjugate her experiences and or her sexual desires. In Space Boobs, (Figure 9.) the breasts can be seen as space invaders as they take up space and push the boundaries of meaning. Breasts intertwine, stretch, hide, bounce and morph into one another to create new forma=ons in space. In this work, I reference McDonald's idea of ambiguity as she states, “ambiguity is a both a space where different meanings blur, overlap, and are conflated…”(McDonald 2001:14). The forma=ons shape-shiy from figura=ve to more abstracted renderings to signify the ever-present changing and varied interpreta=ons of the breast. Although the borders of the paper confine the forms, this is their world where they are in a free state of mind and reinforce sexual self- expression. The breasts in AcornDickTiMy ( Figure 10.) are drawn using similar ligh=ng and shading techniques, but from various angles, direc=ons and posi=ons. I focus on the exaggera=on of the image by zooming in with cropping techniques, accentua=ng the thick graphic line, playing with posi=ve and nega=ve space and layering forms. Some of the breasts in this piece are pierced to push sexual expression, iden=ty and freedom. These strategies add a harmonic and choreographed dimension to the composi=on. There is a decora=ve element to the images as they mimic paisley and feminine and masculine paGerns. The sensuality and harshness of the ink shading enhances the depth of the composi=on while giving the breasts visibility, urgency and individuality. Although the forms resemble the breast, upon closer inspec=on, one might start to recognize different shapes such as orcas, finger nails, spaceships or acorns, phallus objects and tails. Some breasts are elongated with pointy, claw-like nipples, while others are 27 more rounded, tubular or smaller with pierced erect nipples. Other breast look like the have been taken apart or detached from a gendered body. In these depic=ons the gender is ambiguous and shiys between feminine and masculine iden==es. The lines are sensual but harsh as they leave imprints in the paper. Current Feminist Landscape My prac=ce aligns with certain aspects of fourth-wave feminism and post-feminism par=cularly as I look at the current feminist landscape and the importance of feminist campaigns online, such as the women's march, #MeToo, #FREETHENIPPLE, #WETHENIPPLE, sex- posi=ve, and LGBTQ movements. This specific area focuses on emerging models of intersec=onality, womanhood, queer iden=ty, censorship, agency, libera=on and the ownership of one's sexuality. Through the internet, social networking and the #MeToo movement, communi=es are exploring ways to express their sexuality and reclaim the agency of their bodies and physical representa=ons. This interna=onal movement pushes towards the inclusions of all bodies and genders for equality, respect and awareness. More queer, feminine, and non-binary ar=sts are con=nuing to cri=que patriarchal systems and speak out against slut- shaming, gender intersec=ons, sexual harassment and assault through art. However, as we look to the history of #MeToo, It is important to acknowledge that the popular slogan was ini=ally coined by woman of colour ac=vist Tarana Burke in 2006. In her pursuit to create awareness for survivors of sexual violence, Burke founded the campaign “Girls for Gender Equality,” which she con=nues to support today(Ade=ba 2017:23). In an interview 25 The Verso Report, et al. “Tarana Burke Says #MeToo Should Center Marginalized Communi=es.” Versobooks.com, Verso, 2018, 25 www.versobooks.com/blogs/4078-tarana-burke-says-metoo-should-center-marginalized-communi=es. 28 outlined in the book, Where Freedom Starts: Sex Power Violent #MeToo, Burke talks about the deeper issues of how the slogan became a tool used by Hollywood for white women to call out and shame men for sexual violence and harassment(Burke 2017:25). This viral sensa=on again failed to acknowledge or credit the origin of the slogan and further silenced marginalized people and the collec=ve poli=cal conversa=on it was intended for. Sarah Banet-Weiser presents and examines ideas concerning posIeminism in her recent book, Empowered: Popular feminism and Popular Misogyny. Her research outlines a widespread phenomenon and trend in feminism that has found its way in the capitalist marketplace (Banet-Weiser 2018: 1-41). She also claims that there is a rise in misogyny as more woman iden=fying as feminists are becoming outspoken about their bodies and sexuality resul=ng in more harassment, anger and public shaming. Banet-Weiser suggests that this deeply problema=c cycle occurs in spaces that have a higher economic visibility such as on social media plaIorms where networking and community building have become widely accessible. It is in this contemporary milieu that I aGempt to progress my artwork to point out the ever-present censorship constraints s=ll placed upon feminine bodies. Marilyn Minter is an American painter and important figure in the current feminist movement. As we are riding the fourthwave and post-feminist movement, Minter’s work is gaining cri=cal momentum and recogni=on. In fact, Minter’s work can be seen on her instagram account which features talks and posts about American poli=cs including abor=on bans, female reproduc=ve rights and disagreements concerning President Trump’s misogynis=c behaviour. Her pain=ngs are poli=cally charged, controversial and feminist. Minter paints the female nude 29 in popular culture through ero=c and in=mate interac=ons and seeks to expose the commercializa=on of sex and fashion photography by way of hyper-sexual imagery. Minter's earlier work focuses on hard-core pornographic content as she was fascinated by taking male produced photographs of women and reclaiming the images in a way that celebrated female desire and sex. She states in an interview with CNN, "I thought it was =me for women to own sexual imagery and make sexual imagery for their own pleasure and for their own amusement. And at that =me I was picking images from abusive history and repurposing them.”(Ko:2018). In her latest work, Minter takes back the overly-used female bathers mo=f but with a contemporary twist in which her subjects are abstracted behind steamy shower glass doors. 26 Figure 13. Shows her most recent photographs from a two part group exhibi=on en=tled, AborPon is Normal at Eva Presenhuber and Arsenal 26 Contemporary in New York, January 2020. hGps://www.artsy.net/show/downtown-for-democracy-abor=on-is-normal 30 Figure 11. Marilyn Minter, Cuntrol, 2020. Courtesy of the ar=st and Salon 94, New York https://www.artsy.net/show/downtown-for-democracy-abortion-is-normal Censorship Extensive censorship regula=ons exist both online and offline. Moreover, digital plaIorms such as Instagram are becoming widely popular by many ar=sts, celebri=es and art ac=vists. Some of these aGempts to push back against censorship online via hashtag ac=vism, notably #freethenipple have been through women organiza=ons like Femen and radical 27 statements from ar=sts/celebri=es like Petra Collins, Lena Dunham, Rupi Kaur, Emma Watson, Jameela Jamil, and Scout Willis. Although this aGempt to free the nipple is a stance against patriarchal control and can be seen as sexually libera=ng and an engaging campaign to fight oppression online, it s=ll lacks diversity. This lack of diversity is not representa=ve of society and is recognizable and visible as one clicks through the various photographs posted and tagged under #freethenipple. Shortly ayer this campaign, #Wethenipple emerged. #Wethenipple centres in on censorship regula=ons against nudity in contemporary and tradi=onal fine art circula=ng on plaIorms like Facebook and Instagram. The campaign was started by Na=onal Coali=on Against Censorship (NCAC) and American photographer Spencer Tunick ( Robinson: 2019). Many of Tunicks photographs in this campaign feature people of all ethnici=es and 28 genders holding up cardboard cut-outs of nipples over their naked bodies in a collec=ve protest. Censorship is not only harmful to bodies and their self expression, but it can be used as a mechanism to silence and diminish needs and or experiences. I consider and recognize my privileges as a white cis-woman pos=ng online in my explora=on of feminine sexuality. The ques=on remains, however, of what I can do to support and listen to other voices that con=nue Femen is a feminist Ukrainian ac=vist organiza=on. Femen’s radical poli=cal interven=ons feature topless campaigns in mass media to protect 27 and promote women's rights. Robinson, MaGhew. “Facebook to Meet #WeTheNipple Campaigners amid Nudity Censorship Row.” CNN, Cable News Network, 6 June 2019, 28 www.cnn.com/style/ar=cle/facebook-wethenipple-protesters-mee=ng-intl-scli/index.html. 31 to fight on digital plaIorms for sexual, gender and racial equality. At an increasing rate, the younger genera=ons are finding ways to express and reclaim their bodies in sex-posi=ve ways that celebrate sexuality as a defiant response against censorship laws. This is evident through controversial and contradictory approaches like self-objec=fica=on through selfie-culture as a 29 form of empowerment and poten=al valida=on. This is a 21st-century phenomenon, where one takes self-portrait on a smartphone. Selfie’s focus on the face, but 29 with the help of a selfie-stick, one can capture a full-length photo to show the whole body. 32 Conclusion My ar=s=c journey addresses ques=ons of how to portray a sexually strong and confident body in art in a radical period of libera=on that encourages awareness and the importance and ambiguity of sexual iden=ty. However, many important ques=ons remain unresolved. Can the female gaze s=ll objec=fy the feminine body? Can feminism be deemed poli=cally incorrect, if the end goal is to put down patriarchy and encourage feminist approaches to art-making or ac=vism? If =mes are shiying and sexual freedom is becoming more fluid, why is sexuality a threat? Lastly, if the male gaze is an=-feminist, how does one portray a hyper-sexual image of a female-iden=fied body in contemporary society and art? By promo=ng awareness of human sexuality, one can think cri=cally and poli=cally about the agency of our bodies. I am interested in how these conversa=ons are discussed, viewed, and interrogated in public spaces such as the ins=tu=on, Instagram and the art gallery. One of the various ways I intend to further my prac=ce is by nego=a=ng how these spaces can be related and where and how my drawings fit in. I look forward to reconnec=ng with the online community in ways where I can encourage, de-s=gma=ze, celebrate and challenge sexual representa=ons of women that exist beyond the patriarchal framework. By driving feminist discussion online and in real life through representa=onal figura=ve drawing, I intend to con=nue to expand my crea=ve expression through uncensored dialogue. I hope to add to this exci=ng and important field of ar=s=c study by con=nuing to inves=gate the gaze and the unresolved complica=ons of feminine and queer sexuality depicted in contemporary society. 33 34 Figure 12. Bloobs, Graphite on paper, 30 x 22”, 2019. Image Credit: Barb Choit Works Cited 1. Ahmed, Sara. 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