Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2022
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Studio Art
First Advisor
Christopher Meyer
Second Advisor
Lauren Freese
Third Advisor
John Banasiak
Keywords
nude, naked, art, sexuality, expression, venus, female, fruit, sculpture, drawing
Subject Categories
Art and Design | Arts and Humanities | Book and Paper | Sculpture
Abstract
My honors thesis criticizes representations of the female nude and advocates for diverse expression of the female body. The research encompasses two series of artwork and a written component examining and reflecting upon the artwork. The first series is Venus of Fruit, which assesses past depictions and associations of the female nude specifically objectification and sexualization in western art. The sculptures are four cast bronze nude figures within an apple, a banana, and a pineapple. The figures are Venuses trapped within nature, beauty, fertility, and sexualization. The second series is Venus Anew, which examines the naked and the nude within sexualization and combines the art nude with the sexual nude. It is a life-size installation of nine, hanging, red iron oxide drawings of nude and naked poses. Through the transition of poses within the drawings, I encourage the viewer to question their own perception of sensuality and nudity. Within both series, I am artist and model, which I believe provides full autonomy and representation. This article examines my artistic expression of female nudity through my two series, Venus of Fruit and Venus Anew, and I argue that the series criticize the history of the female nude while advocating for new interpretations.
Recommended Citation
Determan, Tasha A., "Bare: the Modern Female Nude Uncovered" (2022). Honors Thesis. 237.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/237