1997-1998, HP-2500 printout from gelatin silver print, 36 x 46 inches. |
From Vaginal Pride Series: Big vagina’s hung up high so the viewer gets caught looking up a skirt.
This is from a series of photographs where me and my friends put our vaginal associations together with our vaginas. This is my dear friend with a powdered sugar mountain.
All of The Vaginal Pride photos are not just some titillating 5 x 7 inch keepsake. I wanted these to be terrifying. I made the photos big and huge and engulfing. After I blew them up, I put them up high because they should be spiritual and lofty. Like the sun.
Putting them high is also contrary to the typical low status of the lady. Plus, height makes the neck crane and exposes the forbidden peeking of the child looking up the mother’s skirt. Or the gawking man. Very Freud. I love the craning of the neck – if you get caught looking, you’re obviously interested.
So then people say…Well, this vagina thing has been done before Dodi, and it’s never worked. Well, my response is, “So has painting been done before.” My other response is, “What does “worked” mean anyway? Does it mean its ability to sell?” Frankly, this is a “Fuck you” artwork and I’m not looking for anyone’s love with it.