The ephemeral form and objects of inspection

The series The Ephemeral Form is my attempt to communicate the ways in which women are similar in order to empower women so that they may overcome their differences creating a way for more open communication. This series of prints explore the notion of femaleness from a personal perspective and aesthetic. The main subject in each piece is the female torso as a static figure or a figure in motion. There is a specimen-like quality to the images as well as direct references to medieval panel paintings. Within each image the torso of the female is transparent revealing the biology of the figure. This is to show the viewer the similarities between the figures. On the surface of the figure in the image are markings and road maps, like scars, to represent the figure as a real being with a personal history. The image, when completed, looks very old and antiquated similar to a Medieval panel painting. I use the paintings and deteriorated quality of them as a metaphor for how I see the female body as it has been scrutinized and the idea of it has been transformed over time. These are the themes discussed in this paper. It is my intention that these works speak to how the female body is constantly revealing and concealing its self, opening up and closing off. The idea of femaleness is constantly changing, creating a cycle of confusion and revelation, and I depict this through the construction of the whole piece through many layers of images, decay and deterioration