They Used to Wear Pearls
They Used to Wear Eyelashes
They Used to Wear Human Hair
2021
Photograph, framed pigment print
70cm x 48cm
49cm x 41cm
50cm x 44xm
The photography series examines the combination of beauty and the grotesque by using the embellishments from the 18th century anatomical Venus on contemporary neutral anatomical model. It explores the strange historical habit of decorating and eroticizing an anatomical teaching model.
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.
They were decorated with pearls, eyelashes, glass eyes and real human hair. They remind of memento more items that merge together life and death.
The glow on the anatomical model comes from a special lens that imitates the first photography objectives.