Over the past several months, I had been stumbling, fumbling and stuck in a rut. Like many creatives experience, there are times of incredible inspiration and artistic vision. The ideas are easy to capture and fast to execute. There are other periods devoid of that spark, leaving a sad vacancy. I have been suffering from the latter. So, using that empty time to review and rethink the themes and content I have chosen as an artist, I came to write a revised vision for the art that I call The Femme Project.
a vision statement
The Femme Project is an ongoing and evolving conceptual art effort addressing themes of women’s sexuality, gender roles, and womanhood. The theme of women’s sexuality and sex is central to the artwork, content and visuals produced and executed at present.
It is my perspective that the concept of a sexually empowered woman is one that is misunderstood and scorned. A woman who embraces and explores her sexuality openly is often subject to ridicule, slut-shaming and disdain. Ironically, as a society, we are bombarded with sexual imagery and sexualization of the feminine form, but as a whole, purport little acceptance of a woman as a sexual equal. The freedom and regard that men enjoy in their role as sexual protagonists is one that women are consistently denied.
Additionally, our cultural and social discourse about sex is absent. Men and women alike avoid addressing aspects of our human sexual nature, rejecting it as a core component to our being. Sex and sexuality impacts all facets of our lives from gender roles, social equality, body image, procreation and reproductive rights to the basic act of sexual pleasure. A natural behavior that was once revered for its reproductive and collective significance has been diminished by our Puritanical roots and sensibilities that transcend into our modern age. The province of sex, and our understanding of it, has disappeared in conversation.
The art of The Femme Project aims to provide a venue for voicing the absence of sex, our misconceptions about sex and the female perspective on sex. The art speaks to my personal experiences and attitudes toward sex and sexuality as well as the current social landscape and perspective. The goal of The Femme Project art is to stimulate discussion, unravel the barriers and provide insight from the feminine point of view. As a woman who has struggled with all aspects of my own sexuality, it is my hope that through the art, I can begin to communicate, and push forward, a more positive and affirming attitude toward sex.
