CURATORIAL RATIONALE
Maria Jose Borbón
My
body of work relates to the theme of social stigmas that women have experienced
throughout history and that still exist today. My development of this theme was
explored throughout many backgrounds; starting off by my own personal
experiences, then developing into life of women in Latin America, throughout
history, and finally expanding into stigmas that are universal today. My main
goal regarding the theme was to “break down” examples of how women are
mistreated by society into simpler concepts in order to create awareness of
such stigmas that most women (myself included) have experienced at least once. My
works mainly incorporate the use of symbolism to represent the female figure
and textural elements explored through various mediums. My aesthetic normally
gravitates towards minimalism, both visually and conceptually (hence my
constant use of symbolism), yet along the IB Art course I tried to integrate
texture in order to make the pieces more appealing visually and expand my
knowledge of techniques.
The
very first piece I developed was inspired by makeup, something that I wear
every single day and that I’m passionate about, yet also something that has
come along with a lot of prejudice. For this reason I developed on the stigma
of something I must experience as a woman. I then linked this theme into my own
culture and geography; Latin America. For the next piece I entered into the
role of women in Latin American culture and placed a statement on the current
situation of such as well as what I think should change. For my next piece, I
expanded my exploration into different cultures and different time periods. I
was inspired by historical women of power who have gone against imposed stigmas
for females, and used them as a means to state how the breaking of such stigmas
is not something new in society, but has been present for thousands of years.
Finally, I was able to expand my exploration and apply it into universal concepts
of what women have and are being stigmatized about. With the existence of
second and third wave feminism, the figure of a feminist has been popularly
represented as one that is almost “monstrous”. Furthermore, I was motivated to
explore the way women are “shrinking” while men “expand”, which is something
that is promoted by one generation to another. Overall, I’ve positioned my
works in this order for the viewer to comprehend the theme of stigmatization of
women in expanding backgrounds.
Studio Work
Maria Jose Borbon
El
patriarcado sigue vivo y saludable by Maria Jose Borbon
Mixed media. 112 x 173 cm
For
this piece, I wanted to explore stigmas for women within my own culture.
Looking at history between men and women throughout Latin America, I came up
with with a small reflection. The message is in Spanish to represent Latin
culture. The image of the ironing table is a symbol of working in the home, one
that older generations see as a task for women to their husbands, but now
something that is shared by both sexes. The fact that it has various
interpretations presents how our society has a long journey before reaching
equality.
Exemplar
Species of a “Modern Feminist” by Maria Jose Borbon
Ceramics and acrylic. 20 x 30 x 22 cm
For
this work I decided to have a satirical take on the way that proclaimed
feminists have a bad reputation and are stigmatized in society. I played on the
idea that feminists are almost seen like monsters by others, so I created a
literal monster with a woman’s wig to give it humor. I tried giving the monster
characteristics of a fly because its an insect with the connotation of being
insignificant, displeasing, and most importantly annoying because of their
buzzing sound. I did also try to create a creepy monster. My main goal with
this piece is to create discomfort in the observer.
The
Femme Fatales of History by Maria Jose Borbon
Engraving on linoleum. 102 x 5 6cm
In
this series I wanted to portray three women who have been ticketed in history
as powerful and dangerous. The women, in order from left to right, are
Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, Lucrezia Borgia, the daughter to Pope
Alexander VI, and Mata Hari, an exotic dancer and German spy during WWI. My
goal for this work was to demonstrate that women defying societal standards has
been present all throughout history, and that it far from a “new” concept.
Makeup
Yourself by Maria Jose Borbon
Photography. 30 x 45 cm each
As
my first project, my main goal was to portray my opinions on a stigma that
follows me around every day; makeup. It is something I’m passionate about, yet
also something that comes along with prejudice since it is a very debated topic
in society. In this series of photographs I try to demonstrate my opinion that
makeup is a source of confidence, not something that should be imposed. The
models are supposed to look like makeup tools (mascara and lipstick) to bring
up the question: Does makeup define us as women?
Self
Portrait by Maria Jose Borbom
Oil on canvas. 28 x 35.5 cm
As
an introduction to my artworks, I decided to portray an image of myself, which
would reflect my theme as one of personal reflection and experiences. I tried
to use warm, dark colors throughout the piece because I believe they represent
my personality.
Women,
Crucified by Maria Jose Borbon
Mixed media. 117 x 172 cm
My
main inspiration for this piece parted from a poem by Lily Myers called
“Shrinking Women” and by her imagery of women in society shrinking, slowly
making space for men to expand and thrive within their own chaos. I decided on
the image of women being crucified because it is a biblical allusion that has
the connotation of sacrifice and suffering in silence. I explored with various
mediums through layers like alcohol, watercolor and paper ripping to create a
surrounding that suggested chaos and loudness, one in which women aren’t
permitted to flourish in.
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