Visions of Self is an annual show of work from female artists across the world. It’s hosted by the Women’s Voices, Women’s Vision group of Yosemite Sierra Artists. In our second year, we’re featuring over 100 artists from 14 countries, with work including the subjects of self-portraiture, environment, emotions, and state of being.
Zoomorphic #25 (Rocks)
I start by painting on my own body, to become a new creature. Then, I set my camera on the tripod and pose. Although it’s make-believe, it doesn’t feel like I’m pretending. Emotions well up inside me. My body moves in unexpected ways. I am expansive, and I do not constrain myself.
In my ordinary life, it is harder to be playful with my appearance. As a woman, I know which facial expressions are acceptable. I know the meanings of different hairstyles. I know what a woman’s clothes say about her. (And I can never quite make mine say something true about me. Getting dressed always feels like pretending.)
I live near the woods and treasure my morning walks there. Among the plants and animals, I am not self-conscious, but am part of an interconnected web of life that transcends any social construct. Perhaps that is why I turn to the natural world for inspiration. The creatures that I become are hybrids, both human and non-human. They are beyond gender, and when I inhabit them, I am free.
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