5. "Yo Mama" by Wangechi Mutu

 

1. Artist: Wangechi Mutu

2. Title: Yo Mama

3. Medium: ink, mica flakes, acrylic, pressure-sensitive film, cut-and-pasted printed paper, and painted paper on paper

4. Size: 59 1/8 x 85"

4. Discussion: The female figure in this image clutches a serpent with a severed head. Immediately, I thought of the story of Eve and concluded that this was a reference to the downfall of Eve. Albeit, an untraditional and abstract version. The combination of different mediums and blurred lines of foreground and background make this piece super unique. Our main figure (we shall continue to call her Eve), has a beautifully feminine body but her head is different. She wears a disproportionate face; with large lips and accentuated eyes. I feel as if the artist mutualized the face for a reason. Even in modern society, we have viewed Eve as the greedy monster that forever changed our society. This portrayal made us look down upon women and the value of women came purely from their beauty for centuries. Luckily, we are finally in a time where looks and obedience are not all we (women) are valued for. Still, the downfall of Eve had a lasting impact up until fairly recently, which is why I thought this piece was important in representing the unraveling of the traditional feminine mold.