ã j. Madison Rink
Archival Triptych Print
Iconographic Change
ana.suromai
History is written by survivors......
There is a centuries long, perhaps even hidden history covering some twenty thousand years, dating as far back as the Upper Palaeolithic art scene when the image of the Vagina was iconic, honored and revered as Sacred and Public Art. It was a powerful, socially significant, fertility enhancing, evil averting symbol and art, most of which was forcefully destroyed by the Christians during the 17th century.
The environmentally sculpted by Mother Nature triptych and image of the Vagina above is entitled "at One." The concept of being One with Nature and therefore One with All is a consciously integrated theme in my body of art entitled “Primitive Nature.” This triptych symbolizes all women "At One" at this time in our history. I am now increasingly hopeful and greatly inspired by the ever increasing and united numbers of women's voices, supported by more men than ever, speaking up about the world wide and serious and devastating epidemic of violence and sexual assault against women and young girls. I have come to believe, since beginning to exhibit this particular image that a critical aspect of this chronic epidemic which surely contributes to the root of this escalating crisis is the way in which most people, including many women view the image of the Vagina. To many it is considered a taboo and more often than not reduced in perception to little more than blatant pornography. Why? We must reject this view that is shrouded in the misrepresentation that the vagina is a “vile, dirty and repugnant, even evil” image. Instead, we surely must re-claim the centuries long symbolic history and embrace the image of the vagina when it was greatly honored and revered as a sacred, healing, artful symbol; a representation of elegant beauty, balance, harmony and fertility from which all human life is birthed.
As a very young child who endured devastating sexual assault, the recognition and mirroring of this environmentally sculpted and natural human likeness in nature was a profoundly enlightening and healing experience for me. In the very moment I first viewed this image, I was reminded of a mysteriously deep, circular in nature physical, scientific and spiritual ancient understanding which underscores the ancient concept that we are all one with Nature and as such we are One with ALL. With this kind of healing clarity, I was inspired to create a multicultural representation of the same rock subject, utilizing different lighting, in order that all women could see themselves reflected in nature in this elegantly beautiful, sacred and healing way.
History of this work and other primal images, including Artist Statement:
YALE, Beinecke Library, Women in Photography International Archives
http://womeninphotography.org/Events-Exhibits/YALE-WIPI-ARCHIVE/jMadisonRINK/submission.html
2015- 2018 Additional Archives: the Smithsonian, New York,, Women's Museum, Wash D.C., the GETTY Museum, Los Angeles, The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Radcliffe for Advanced Study, Harvard University, International Center of Photography, (ICP) New York City, University of Arizona Center of Creative Photography, Tucson.
Must Read: Story of the V: Opening Pandora's Box, by Catherine Blackledge (U.K.)
