Battles of Birth is a series of five traditional large-scale drawings that deal with the sexism that is so deeply ingrained and normalized in mythology. The original theme for this body of work was specifically the idealization of the female body in mythology, but it soon turned into a way of opening a dialogue about the implications of normalizing and dismissing the sexism in mythology and passing it off as part of their culture.
"Leda" 3'6" x 7'9"
"Aino" 3'6" x 7'9"
The research for this project includes artists as influences for style, composition, and rendering. These include Roberto Ferri, whose work reflects the contrast between the ancient and the modern. Jenny Saville, known for her paintings of big, fleshy women. She challenges the beauty standards of the male gaze that have influenced the beauty industry for a long time. Patrick Earl Hammie’s paintings are raw and uninhibited with depicting dynamic and unrestrained poses and sharp lighting. Don Gale’s drawings and sculptures are rich in movement and drama.. Research also encompasses Greek and Finnish mythologies supporting the referenced paintings and sculptures, as well as the feminist movement and its perspectives on power.
These are large-scale drawings made with titanium white PanPastel and white Conte crayon on Starthmore Artagain medium weight black paper. The subjects are volunteers and are photographed for reference. White pastel on black paper delivers the sculptural look, high contrast, and visual weight desired that is associated with classical sculptures and baroque paintings.
"Medusa" 3'6" x 7'9"
"Andromeda" 3'6" x 7'9"
Battles of Birth is a symbolic form of taking back the power for victims of abuse, sexism, and discrimination. The models depicted in this thesis chose who they wanted to represent. Each of them chose a story for a reason, and not only did they become a part of it, but they also took control and changed the narrative. The scale of the drawings express the grandeur of these figures—inspired from the Baroque era and Caravaggio, regular everyday people depicted as divine figures.
