"Beauty in Vein" - Opening Friday April 13th 7:30pm
“Beauty in Vein” - new artwork by Joslyn Doerge
Opening reception - Friday April 13th - 7:30pm
Showing: April 13th thru May 7th, 2012RSVP on facebook
Drawing on her background as a trained scientific illustrator, Joslyn Doerge explores erotic attraction, conceptions of beauty and the physical body’s fleshy meat, by literally pulling the the skin off her subjects and taking a peek at what lies underneath. But rather than falling into butcher house imagery, Doerge’s subjects firmly stake claim to the bubblegum innocence of mid-century pin-up models.
I have long been fascinated with the myriad ways in which the human body is represented in visual art. My background is in scientific illustration, which deals with the human form in a pragmatic, even clinical manner. But I am also particularly interested in the pop genre of pin-up art, which is designed to simultaneously entice the viewer and objectify the model, creating a visceral, even carnal, reaction in the beholder. In my latest project, then, I am exploring new possibilities in the established genres of scientific illustration and vintage-style pin-up art. Recently I have started to create large-scale illustrations which combine aspects of both of these genres. I am looking past the surface of the body, going beyond skin-deep, and investigating the substances – the very structures – that actually give a body life; in doing so I want to explore the subtle nuances of what makes a body “beautiful.” By offering a scientific rendering of pin-up art, I aim to challenge the beholder’s preconceived notions of beauty – and perhaps, in doing so, “rehumanize” the female models as well. With this approach, I also explore the issues of sex, desire, and attraction by forcing the viewer to come to terms with the sight of a beautiful woman, posed seductively, but with absolutely no skin. In this way I hope to enlighten and educate others about their own humanity and cause them to question their fundamental concept of beauty. - Joslyn Doerge
Mission Comics & Art
3520 20th St. Suite B
San Francisco, CA
415.695.1545
missioncomicsandart.com
