Suspended in Empty Space
2020
18" x 12"
Original ink drawing.
 
In the Fall of 2020 I was tasked in Senior Studio Thesis by Professor Sam Johnson to make a variety of work. I was meant to explore any theme I wanted around this time. My first finished work depicted a woman's bare form with an oustretched hand confronting the viewer's gaze. I used a minimalistic style with Ukiyo-e and other Japanese influences. This piece, Suspended in Empty Space, surrounds themes of sexual assault and emotional abuse, as well as the starvation of the female form under the viewership of the male gaze. In Art History, the male gaze has shaped the way women have been portrayed as well as observed. Painted women's eyes have often shyed away from viewership, allowing access to a bare form. An exposed, emaciated female form is depicted in Suspended in Empty Space. The hungry look of the form aims to mimic the long lingering and swallowing effects of sexual assault and emotional abuse.