As a direct result of researching the work of Sarah Lucas, I came across the feminist author Andrea Dworkin. I found that Lucas was influenced by the writings of Dworkin who was an outspoken critic of misogynistic attitudes towards women, specifically pornography.
Reading this work has been another stage in the progression of my journey into this field of research. It’s pretty heavy going but it’s becoming clear how works like this and the ideas it discusses have been so influential on particularly Lucas’s work.
As I’m reading I keep coming across bits that I can almost tick off as having been a direct reference in Lucas’s artworks.
Front Cover of Pornography, Men Possessing Women, 1989, Andrea Dworkin
Particular themes are becoming more interesting to me.
– women portrayed and widely understood to be objects for the fulfilment of male sexual desires.
– the power of naming being a masculine power
– language being a male tool and the restrictions that places on any feminine stance
At one point, a particular phrase struck a chord while I was reading Pornography….
“The two poles of her existence as a white woman are underscored: she is boss, she is total submissive.”
It made me think about the decades of fighting for gender equality and ask myself whether I felt any real progression had ever been made. Dworkin speaks extensively of the objectification of women and with this in mind, a particular artwork by Allen Jones came into my head; the series Hatstand, Table and Chair, 1969, the Table element of which is pictured here.
Table, 1969, Allen Jones
At the time of their creation and even now, these pieces have caused huge uproar because of their overtly misogynistic content. They instantly intrigued me, and combined with the Dworkin quote made me want to use them somehow in my own work.
I decided that a parody of the sculpture, representing the continuing struggle of women against objectification in the modern world was an avenue I wanted to explore and so went about developing a plan for creating my own take on his sculptures.
Video of experimental work
Having found a good sized piece of glass I needed to see how easily I would be able to support it when it rested on my back. Not being a fibreglass mannequin means not being able to secure the glass to my shoulder blades! By supporting the glass in order to allow me to crawl under it to then lift it gently with my back I was able to confirm that it was at least doable with some assistance setting up the photo shoot.
Although the idea of a performance/installation piece with me displayed as per Jones’s table, in an exhibition setting for audience members to view over a length of time, practicality won and photographs became more attractive a possibility. (the glass is very heavy and difficult to maintain at the correct angle for long periods)
