In a conventional world, dress is a signifier of and metaphor for who we are; what we wear establishes our identity and often dictates our actions. In a conventional world certain expectations in terms of dress code and behaviour therefore exist.
“Dressed Flesh” is a series of sculptures where the outer covering of the female body (the dress), with all its layers of meaning, takes on a deeper significance and becomes a signifier of the body and its life experiences.
The female figure is absent – only the shell (the dress) of its existence remains for the viewer to understand and interpret. My objective is to challenge the viewer to look below the surface of comfortable, conventional behaviour.
The poem on the bathroom window is by the South African poet now living in the Netherlands: Elizabeth Eybers:
“Portret Van ‘n Vrou”
“Portrait Of A Woman”