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November 29, 2010

Kimia Kline: The Tyranny of Beauty

 Delicate Creatures, oil on panel, 24"x36", 2010

 Untitled, oil on panel, 24"x36", 2010

 Veiling, oil on panel, 24"x36", 2010


After reading A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History by Manuel Da Landa, I was particularly struck with his analysis of the “circulation of flesh”. This term conjured up countless images of female bodies, reduced to nothing more than flesh to be visually consumed. Da Landa explains that, “the main form of matter-energy flow in the biosphere is the circulation of flesh in food chains (De Landa 104).” This pattern seems to be repeated in advertising, as female flesh is the main form of “matter-energy” flow in media.

In addition to the paintings, I created a small sugar cast sculpture of the female body. This sculpture denies the woman her hands or head, serving to further objectify her. She is seen in a kneeling position, one that is often associated with submissiveness and servitude, revoking her a sense of empowerment or independence. Sugar was chosen as the medium for this casting, as it is a staple of indulgent physical consumption. The sugar sculpture lends itself to the idea that women are depicted as nothing more than “eye candy” and further plays into the notion of consumption and energy flow.  

 

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