Art is the tool I employ as an activist to express my dissatisfaction with the traditional, yet current, gender roles in the prevailing patriarchy in the United States; it is my vehicle to engender changes in thought. The capacity for me to use a variety of media to fit the concept of a work is crucial to me as an artist. Using a humorous and didactical approach, I appropriate craft, everyday objects, and pop culture references to discuss the symptoms of this ongoing patriarchal structure on women and society.
Conceptually, my work finds its home among contemporary reflections in feminism, including the objectification of women’s bodies, the social construction of gender, and violence in film. While there has been progress since the second and third waves of feminism, issues involving appearance and gender roles remain basically the same. My artwork reveals the continuing dangers of these issues and acts as a reminder of the work left to be done.
The main focus of my practice is the investigation of gender role myths from history and pop culture. These concepts are easily relatable, but are often looked over by the general public. I call attention to socially constructed symbols of femininity and create importance in the viewer’s mind by exaggerating these myths to show them for what they really are: absurdist and outdated.
More specifically, my thesis exhibition “RAPE-SCAPES: A Deconstruction” is an investigation of aestheticized sexual violence and the representation of women in film and toys. “THE VICTIM” is a sculpture made from extruded polystyrene, epoxy, and porcelain colored spray paint. It is a life-size recreation of the Moebius Monster Scenes: The Victim plastic model kit. This kit was exhibited along with my video “IT’S ONLY A MOVIE…” which includes clips from films whose narratives revolve around a scene of a raped woman. These clips are interspliced with quotes taken from message boards at the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com). I propose that these films and toys irresponsibly depict a sexualized female victim and force viewers into the subjectivity of the rapist.
My work aims to engender understanding and evoke a reaction in the audience. Indifference is nearly impossible. The concept, or at least the memory of that concept, is essential, in addition to the physicality of the artwork. My intention is to provide a springboard for audiences to question and reflect upon these antiquated social constructions of gender and pass on the information they have gleaned from my work. Without a rethinking of these representations, pop culture will continue to produce and perpetuate ideas that are damaging to future generations.
Carrie Rebecca Armellino