Jo Archuleta
My work explores the complexity of identity and mythology of womanhood found within leisure, desire, pleasure, and the specificity as a state of being. By acknowledging rules within the landscape of femininity, gender roles, and their societal expectations, I have found that there are multiple approaches to transgressive and transformative definitions of these identities.
My specific approach to this critique has been to use humor, jokes, and satire. I am interested in exploring how the figure is perceived and how she sees herself, a constant battle between self awareness and self sabotage. Tension within the color palette and subject matter is materially driven, using texture as a tool for attraction. The figures seduce and confront complexities within the vapidness of beauty, vanity, and ego while also using self-consciousness as repulsion. The women in my work wear masks, perform softness, weakness, shallowness, and confidence, all while cowering in the insecurities within themselves.
