Lying Down
2021-2022
Digital collage, pigment print
42cm x 29,4cm
Turku City Art Collection (1st piece of work)
Kuopio Art Museum collection (1st and 3th pieces of work)
The series explores connection between the pose of the 18th century wax figure anatomical Venus and other imageries of female representation. With collage, nude paintings, pin-up and stock images become new imaginary anatomical Venuses.
The anatomical Venus wax figures were first made in Italy during the 18th century. These figures were used for teaching anatomy to the general public and were moulded into the form inspired by the portrayal of Venus in the visual arts. They were beautiful, passive and placed to lie on silk. Their beauty was meant to distract people from thinking about death while learning anatomy.
The Venuses were Inspired by nude paintings and even as medical objects they couldn't escape the expectations of erotic spectacle. The series turns this idea around and puts the wax guts of the anatomical Venuses on images meant to eroticize the bodies assigned as female.