Christina A. West: looking at a naked man
Christina A. West is an artist based in the US who makes figurative sculptures and site-sensitive installations. About two years ago she started focussing her work on the male body as a way to empower and better understand the female gaze. Her project names ‘Looking at a naked man’ and ‘She looks’ give a clear […]
Why we should free the penis from shame
The penis is a very sensitive subject. As a symbol of masculinity and male sexuality, it plays a big role in male shame. It seems to be very weird, inappropriate, uninteresting or frightening to look at an artwork that contains a penis. This is in stark contrast to the vagina, the female sex that pleases […]
The female gaze on the male nude in art: the missing piece
Why is the female gaze on the male nude completely absent in art museums? It has been more than thirty years since the Guerilla Girls made the statement “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?” but it seems like gender equality in museums is still a long way off. Male […]
Motherhood: afraid of a life changing event
Ask a man why he is not using his sperm or ask a woman why she is not using her uterus. It’s basically the same thing, but somehow it feels like a very loaded question to me – and many other women. I no longer panic when I get this question, but my fertility is […]
Why self-portraits shape our perspective on the female body
Is the nude really necessary in art? The body has been investigated by artists for centuries, but the sexualization of our bodies has turned this art form into something incomprehensible and unacceptable. But is that justified? One day I found a box with nude self-portraits of my parents Since the second year of my photography […]
The power of dialogue in art
Does a work of art need to be beautiful? Art can be more than that. It starts dialogues, raises questions, and connects people with different perspectives. Art has transformative power. It is important for humanity. The need for recognition is food for the ego Do you know what I like best about exhibiting? The interesting […]
The artist life
Four years ago I decided: I’m going to devote my life to photography and art. And that is what I am doing now, every day. It’s a great journey, but not always an easy journey. Artistry is not a hobby and it is no less heavy because it is my passion. But what does it […]
Interview in Brenda Magazine
In june I had an interview in the Twin issue of Brenda Magazine about my project LOOK AT ME. You can read the interview here. What does ‘Twin’ mean to you? The word ’twin’ immediately makes you think of look-alikes. Two relatives who are born on the same day to the same mother. But if […]
Als naakt de norm zou zijn
Stel je eens voor, een wereld waarin het naakte lichaam de norm zou zijn. Iedereen die kleding aantrekt is abnormaal. Het klinkt misschien absurd, maar de angst voor het naakte lichaam is dat ook. De seksualisering van onze maatschappij heeft het naakte lichaam spannend gemaakt. Is dat wel terecht? Vrij naakt lopen mag niet zomaar […]