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Gayle Kells
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VULNERABLE BODY
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"change begins with some women having faith in their own humanity to refuse
to live down to male supremacy's artificial mold for them. This refusal to conform is what makes it possible to demonstrate that dominant social norms are imposed
rather than natural."
Denise G. Réaume "The Social Construction of
Women and the Possibility of Change: Unmodified Feminism Revisited", Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, Vol. 5, 1992.
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Form: Oil paint, canvas, foundation garment, pins
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Artist’s Statement
Vulnerable: susceptible; defenseless; powerless; frail; helpless; exposed; open to;
in danger; at risk; in a weak position.
My paintings of full-figured female nudes relate to issues of the female body and display a body
type generally hidden from public view. As women age, as their bodies change, or if they occupy a large figure, images of their bodies are considered unacceptable
for viewing. These works uncover a particular reality of the female body.
Combining this theme with issues of Feminism and the Law, my work in this show
reflects my concern with the vulnerable nature of the female body. As women strive for independence, autonomy, self-reliance and mutual respect from others within
society, the law struggles to represent their viewpoint attempting to resolve age-old concerns by interjecting new solutions to a male-based structure.
Because of the synergistic effect of sexual identity, inadequate social systems, historically imbedded socio/cultural notions, the law is ineffective when dealing
with the female body. Only by addressing all of these elements can we move forward. Although the law intends to provide some form of protection for the vulnerable
body, it is only one element. Presenting this work, I ask myself: "Can we eliminate the vulnerability women are laden with?" The following quotation from
Lorenne Clark's article succinctly ties into the philosophy of the work presented.
Recapturing autonomy -
"A major objective of this process is to
promote genuine and equal autonomy . . . grounded in mutual and intersubjective recognition of the need for the other and which explicitly repudiates and rejects
the notions that freedom and independence are functions of isolation rather than of mutual interdependence."
Lorenne M.G. Clark
Women and the State: Critical Theory - Oasis or Desert island?
Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, Vol. 5, 1992
Presenting the nude female body through this artwork has a dualistic affect -
exposing the female body perhaps renders it vulnerable yet this very exposure encourages confidence and self-assurance. Hiding it, however, would leave it
inaccessible and faced with greater vulnerability.
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About the Artisit
Gayle Kells' art focuses on issues of female identity: notions of the
gaze, women in society, their lived lives and continually changing bodies. Her series of paintings of full-figured female nudes examines and confronts the
idealized image of the slim youthful female figure we are accustomed to viewing in the media, including the tradition of oil painting. Since completing her
Bachelor of Fine Arts (magna cum laude), University of Ottawa / 1995, and coursework toward an MA in Canadian Studies, Carleton University, Gayle works from her
studio at Enriched Bread Artists, exhibiting widely. Her work is held internationally, in private and public collections, including the Governor General's
Residence and the Corel Centre in Ottawa.
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