My work examines the ways commonly accepted sexual practices are shaped by the media—specifically, internet pornography. I aim to raise questions about the eroticization of violent acts as they are predominantly perpetrated by men against women and in some cases potentially threaten women’s lives.
As such acts have increasingly become normalized, a parallel phenomenon of the ‘rough sex defense’ has emerged. Men who have murdered women increasingly use ‘rough sex gone wrong’ as a defense in court with increasing success. Sexual practice not only reflects its patriarchal cultural context but reproduces it.
My work is therefore not only an opportunity for consciousness-raising but one in a long line of feminists’ attempts to decouple sex and violence.
My work uses disturbing and obscure imagery to illustrate the lack of public knowledge about potential physical harm as well as work through my own personal fears. I utilize the new language of digital photography and the old language of fiber art. Fiber art carries connotations of women’s work, which often forms a second story hidden underneath the dominant narrative. The embroidery piece incorporates quotes from print sources, including an article by Christine Emba and several medical studies.
Artists Statement:
I am a feminist interdisciplinary artist. I have worked with a diverse array of themes, from body image to the pressures of motherhood to sexualized violence, but the thread that ties them all together is the normalization, and even valorization, of female suffering.
I work primarily with digital photography, but I also sometimes incorporate drawing, fiber art, and site-specific installation into my art. I pay close attention to the physical feelings I experience in the process of making my work, as the tactility of the props or costumes helps me maintain a high level of focus. I also often incorporate my own body into my work as a means of remaining open and vulnerable.
The present exhibition also contains works from several previous series. The first, Mooncalf, explores feelings of distress around motherhood, while the second, More Women’s Work Will Save the World, is about the eco-gender gap.
Artist Bio:
Oona Guensche is a feminist interdisciplinary artist from Pleasanton, California. While on a family vacation to Portland as a teenager, she wandered into the women’s studies section of Powell’s Books and came out a different person. She is inspired by the photography of Francesca Woodman and the music of Mary Timony.
