Popular Culture and National Culture

This is my final project for Drawing III (sorry about the poor image quality). My inspiration for this piece originated during a discussion in my 'women's studies' course, as we were discussing a topic related to the ailment of hysteria that afflicted women and the various "cures" associated with this disease.


The following is the short artist statement I wrote in relation to this piece:

Patriarchy is commonplace in the United States; it follows that our typical views concerning sexual intercourse are from the male gaze. Thus, men have defined the cultural standards, methods, and purposes of sex. My work is about gender reversal, specifically concerning the female orgasm. It is perfectly normal and healthy for a woman to be proud of her sexuality. The problem is breaking down the social stigma attached to sexual intercourse, which has hindered women from speaking about what is sexually pleasing to each one of them. Every single woman is built differently, so what arouses different women also varies. This piece is about encouraging all women to break their silence in the bedroom and teach men how to properly achieve the task at hand.

To view more images of "Orgasm Study One," click on any of the images to be directed to my flickr page, or click on the following link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jensteindl/sets/72157617998474392/