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 the connection between the poses of 18th-century anatomical Venus wax figures and other forms of female representation. Through collage, nude paintings, pin-up images, and stock images become new imaginary anatomical Venuses.
Anatomical Venus wax figures were first made in Italy during the 18th century. These figures were used to teach anatomy to the general public and were moulded in forms inspired by portrayals of Venus in the visual arts. They were beautiful, passive figures, placed lying on silk. Their beauty was intended to distract people from thoughts of death while learning anatomy.
The Venuses were inspired by nude paintings, and even as medical objects, they could not escape the expectations of erotic spectacle. The series turns this idea around by placing the wax guts of the anatomical Venuses onto images intended to eroticize bodies assigned as female.