Art Talks

The Objects That Do Not Objectify

Notions such as : “women belong in the kitchen”, “women wear make-up to please men” and “nipples should not appear in public so wear bra” speak of objectification of women. However, the artworks of Len-Len, Corrine Fernandez Garcia and Lilay proposes an antithesis to these notions by using the very objects to debunk the objectifications it associates with. Although essential to basic survival in life, the power of domesticity is reduced as it is commonly seen as a form of submission, a hindrance to attainment of goals considered by society as a higher purpose. Len-Len’s “Will Chop Wood for Food” repurposes a wooden chopping board – a domestic object, as a canvas for her painting of a matriarchal figure boldly holding up a kitchen knife, conveying nurturance through the breasts overflowing with milk and the human figure doubling as a tree. From “women belong to the kitchen”, a restatement that says “women own the kitchen” prevails. Corrine F. Garcia’s “Everyday I am Here” calendar aesthetic plus the lips stamping was inspired by the red lipstick worn by Kumander Liwayway of the Huk Rebellion in gun battles. Now, who says wearing lipstick is just for flirtatious occasions? As for Lilay’s “Usapang Suso”, she deliberately uses actual brassieres for this assemblage piece. As intimate wear, it conveys best other issues breasts go through physiologically. Society just seem to be more affected with the external qualities of the bosom. Through conceptual approach of carefully chosen medium, these artists delivered their statements that provoke us to rethink our society’s objectifying notions of women.