KYLIE SIMONS She is (not) simply meat, 2022

I intend for my artwork to provoke taboo conversations surrounding the purpose, use, and appearance of the female body. My experimentation of body horror was inspired by Susan Bordo’s essay Reading the Male Body where she suggests “she is simply meat.”

Drawing influence from Germaine Greer’s book titled Female Eunuch which theorises the dominance of the male gaze devitalises women, I explore concepts such as coping with contraceptive medication, fetishisation, and biased expectations. By turning the fleshy, latexcast bodices into a seductive yet revolting protective outerwear, my artwork teases the audience with an erotic female figure disguised by unsettling garments.