Resisting the pornification of women.

[Sepalia]

The sexualisation and pornification is a major pressure on young women today and we badly need a public debate about it. If you haven?t seen this excellent article in The Guardian last week please take a look now www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/01/feminists-pornification-of-women

For me the most important sentence in the article is this one: "The fight against the increasingly narrow and limiting image of femininity is inextricably connected to the progressive fight for democratic ownership and control of the media."

There is such a massive difference between 'published opinion? that we are all exposed to on a daily basis and genuinely felt public opinion. Women still find it difficult to get heard by mainstream media but at least we the Internet now.

This article really hits home with me because as an artist I am working to open up the issue of femininity with sculptures and printmaking based on the most feminine body part, the vulva. My work is a meant to contribute to a re-defining of the feminine and point out how important female energy is in the world.

Hopefully my female symbols will eventually become widely known symbols of femininity ? and in particular present a version of femininity that is governed by women - and not by the Media or the male gaze.

Here is that link: www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/01/feminists-pornification-of-women?commentpage=11

In Australia this subject is actually getting quite a bit of media lately, largely due to the efforts of Melinda Tankard Reist and Collective Shout.

I agree the article was good. And your work sounds fascinating.

If I may though, I would slightly disagree. I do not think that 'femininity' is a useful construct. I don't want anyone to tell me what is feminine, even the nicest, most honest woman. I am female, I have female genitalia and XX chromosomes but I'm a person, and I don't think I have to feel feminine or have any sense of my genitalia giving me a personal identity, if that makes sense?

I would be fascinated by the idea of symbols of femininity that come from a feminist perspective, but ultimately I reckon I'd rather we move beyond the whole idea of symbolizing people by gender and just let them all find individual identities.

Very, very well said, LRD.

Thank you!

I would love to know more about the OP's work, hope she comes back to tell us.