Dirty Show

Talk about an early X-Mass gift, this morning i got an email confirming that two of my paintings have been accepted for the " Dirty Show ". 

Dirty Show 10th Anniversary
The Greatest Erotic Art Show On Earth!
February 6 - 14 , 2009 • Detroit, USA

Stump / La souche

Stump / La souche

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

12" x 16"

SOLD / Vendu

Bound in Ecstasy / L'extase

Bound in Ecstasy / L' Extase

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

30" x 40"

SOLD

Eroticism

Been thinking on boundaries of all sorts, some good and some not so good but this introspection did, amongst other realizations, bring me to a, what i believe is a better and more profound understanding of what constitutes eroticism in art.

Like what does erotic mean? To my mind, it says what is acceptable in " legitimate society ". It's a representation, a boundary or rather the space between obscenity ( porn ) and the aesthetic high art. For me, it's anything but extremes, it's anything but opposites. I wonder why it is that sexuality is perceived as outside human society, outside of human activities or taboo. Why do we hide and decry our sexualities, turn them into vileness. 

The erotic seems to have been placed at the juncture of these competing categories of High art and pornography. Of course, how we define eroticism is to one's own view and acceptance of sexuality. I think that eroticism is also how we as people, can live vicariously through that art which depicts sexual activities, either openly or in a less obvious way. As i can see, both the erotic and pornography have certain common bonds, so how to tell ?

Is an erect penis porno or erotic art ? Well, the erection in itself speaks of arousal and active sexuality. On the other hand, it is also simply a suggestion of things to come or not, it is a view of sexuality without the before and after, the reality of it as it were. Mind you, i've not a clue why i am mentioning penises being a lesbian, but hey, it's what came to mind as an example, hehehe.

So is sexual arousal porn?, obscenity ? Or is it a form of identification of the viewer with the action which then would be eroticism.

Erotic art, for me, is an expression of my freedom to be sexual, it speaks to mental wellness. I want to say through my erotic art that it's perfectly fine to reclaim this sexuality of ours as we have other freedoms and rights. I truly think that sexuality should be visible and open in every aspect of culture and society, of course without harm to anyone not desiring it.

Today we have LGBT rights fought for and in some form, attained or in progress, same with women's rights though much still needs to be done in that arena. As a feminist woman, i do denounce the pornography that harms women, that brings them down and attempts to objectify them. The pornography that seeks to so visually and violently expose every nook and cranny of females. For me, pornography is the oppression of women and their bodies. If a work of art turns women's bodies into what men want them to look like then that is obscene because of the spirit of it's intention which becomes manifest visually.

Though i do call myself feminist, i will not make any attempt to delineate or create or enable blanket terms other than what i've said in the above paragraph. To make and try to enforce, to make that distinction between what is acceptable and unacceptable is not my role as an artist or as a feminist. Maybe if we, females and women, have more say about our bodies within the context and discourse of art and pornography, we could then see a new day where freedom from oppression and violence is a natural occurrence of societal and culture life. I think, at least for myself as a woman, it is vital for me to explore and speak my view about the female erotic and i encourage all my sisters to give free reign ( without harm ) to their sexualities and sense of love and healthy enjoyment of their bodies.

in erotic thoughts,

Circe

Petals

Petals

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

12" x 16"

$ 400. can.

Unfolding like the petals of a flower to present the beauty within. One of a series of pieces inspired by The Vagina Monologues.

S'ouvrir comme les pétales d'une fleur et dévoiler la présence de la beauté intérieure. Cette oeuvre fait partie d'une série inspirer par Les Monologues du Vagin.

FGM - Female Genital Mutilation

Female genital mutilation / Mutilation génitale femelle

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

9" x 12"

$200. can.

The cries and screams issue forth from ignorance and violence brought about by fear of females.

Les cris et les pleurs émanent de l'ignorance et la peur des femmes.

Road in St-Alphonse-Rodriguez, birches

Our private road / Notre chemin privé

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

16" x 20"

collection N.M. Vleminckx

Food for thought

Food for Thought / À faire penser

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

20" x 30"

$ 1, 200. can.

Feed upon me yet feed upon all of me, drink of my mind, my body and my heart. Woman and all females, essential to the survival of humanity.

Nourris-toi de moi, en totalité, étanche ta soif en t'abreuvant de ma pensée, mon intelligence, mon corps et mon coeur. Les femmes, absolument essentielles pour la survie de l'humanité.

Female masculinity ( Butch )

Female masculinity / Masculinité féminin

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

12" x 24"

$ 600. can.

Like the regal lion, the power and unique energy of the female Butch is unmistable, even when nude.

Tour comme le roi Lion, la puissance et l'énergie unique de la femme Butch est inmanquable, même lorsque nue.

Fossil

Fossil / Fossile

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

20" x 30"

$ 1,200. can.

Elegance

Elegance / Élégance

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

24" x 36"

$ 1,700. can.

Her majesty and beauty are gifts to the dance of love.

Sa majestueuse beauté est le cadeau accordé à la danse de l'amour.

Conseil des Arts du Québec and me

Yesterday the 6th of august, i brought two of my paintings that were selected by the Conseil des Arts du Québec to their offices so that they could see them in advance and be sure of their choice as well as because they needed all artists to drop their art of at one location.

Anyhoooo, i was very well received, their energy was really a lot of fun and light. Jennifer is what the artworld needs, someone who LOVES art. I also met Jacques, who helped me with my pricing and also totally boosted my sense of worth as an artist, thanks to both Jennifer and Jacques. This morning, i wake up knowing i've moved along on my path as a professional artist.

Circé

Petals ll

Petals ll / Pétales ll

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

24" x 36"

$ 1,750.. can.

Like a flower opening to the sun, a woman's vagina opens to touch, warmth, tenderness, vitality, understanding and love.

Tout comme la fleur s'ouvrant au soleil, le vagin d'une femme s'ouvre au toucher, à la chaleur, la tendresse, la vitalité, la compréhension et l'amour.

Provocation - Sensuality and Eroticism

Two of my paintings have been selected to be part of the international art event called; Provocation - Sensuality and Eroticism in Montreal, Canada. It will be held at; 2111 boulevard St-Laurent, 5th floor from the 12th of august to the 17th. This is at the famous " Just for Laughs Museum ".

The vernissage is on the 14th, from 5pm to midnight. Come meet me and enjoy the exhibit.

12th to the 16th; 2pm to midnight

17th; Noon to 6pm

entrance fee: $10.

Provocation - Sensualité et Érotisme

Deux de mes peintures ont étés retenues pour l'exposition d'envergure international  intituler; Provocation - Sensualité et Érotisme qui aura lieu du 12 au 17 août 2008 au Musée Juste pour Rire, 2111 boulevard St-Laurent au 5ième étage, Montréal.

Il y aura environs 170 artistes de 20 pays en plus de 30 artistes du Québec. Le vernissage est le 14 août, de 17h à 24h. Venez me rencontré.

12 au 16: 14h à 24h

17 août: 12h à 18h

coût d'entrée: $10.

ArtQuid.com

my sister, my muse, my model

charcoal on paper

13 1/2 " x 17 "

property of Vic H.

unframed

pastel demonstration

me doing a demonstration of pastel portraiture during a group exhibition.

Cycle

Lunar cycle / Cycle lunaire

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

16" x 20"

$ 600. can.

Red tide, flows, life, blood, pain, pleasure, death...

The power of the female divine.

La marée rouge, qui jaillit, la vie, le sang, la douleur, le plaisir, la mort...

Le pouvoir du divin féminin.

Young girl and dolls

Young girl sleeping / Jeune fille endormie

pastel on paper /pastel sur papier

10.5 " x 15.5 "

collection Mme. et Mr. Laramée

Can you see me now?

Revelation / Dévoilé

pastel on paper / pastel sur papier

12 1/2" x 17 1/2"

$ 275. can. ( framed-encadré )

Discovering a wonderful source of power and pleasure.

A la découverte d'une merveilleuse source de puissance et de plaisir.

Access denied / Accès interdit

pastel on paper

17 1/2" x 23 1/2 "

wood frame and glass

donated to the Women's Support Network of York Region, Ontario

Pin-up art

I'm in a mood for something more of myself, i mean that i want to create art that comes from me, that allows for more creativity on my part.

Since i totally love symbolist art, i thought i'd try and combine it with my painting style and see where that brings me. Also, i really want to paint pin-up art. I have already started a couple of portraits with the pin-up genre in mind and i'm feeling good about it so i'll eventually post the pics.

Marilyn M.

Marilyn M.

pastel on paper / pastel sur papier

18" x 24"

property of / propriété de :

J. Faria

Sap collecting / Collection de sève à St-Ambroise de Kildare

Sap collecting / Collection de sève à St-Ambroise de Kildare

oil on canvas / huile sur toile

10" x 12"

$ 250. can.

Artist Statement

My artwork looks at the female body, mind and sense of empowerment. I enjoy creating erotic art and this in turn allows me to comment on social, political, cultural and sexist ways women and all females are perceived. I attempt to speak on the violence done to women as well as the beauty of femininity. My work tried to reproduce familiar concepts of the nude and the female erotic while inserting new elements such as political and anti oppression narratives, commentaries and symbology.

I create my erotic art from the inside out, as a woman born with a biological condition called transsexuality, i have had to come into my own as a female through much hardships. My path towards re-claiming my femininity and sense of womanhood was a struggle, and emotional pain, a constant reminder of society’s misogynistic and sexist attitude towards women in general and specifically towards females such as i. I think that my life experiences have given me a unique perspective, one that i try to share with all. I am passionate on many issues but i am generally even more vocal when it comes to women and the treatment they are sadly often subjected to because of abusive and oppressive stereotypes and prejudices born of patriarchy.

For the past three years, my art has involved the creation of a celebration of females in all their multifaceted splendor and beauty. I have put over a year in painting and drawing a series of pieces just about vaginas, because i felt they deserved celebrating and respect and honor. I have had a few shows in which my vagina paintings were showcased. Of course, i was influenced by plays, books, friends and especially from the fact that i had to have corrective surgery in order to finally have my own vagina. I had to work a lot and go through so many hurdles and barriers to finally be in a position to have my body aligned with my brain to be whole. It is probably clear by now that i am a feminist and that i do what i can to empower everything female.

I am also a queer woman, known for my penchant for the female erotic for which i give no apology, i simply love females. I think that speaking out through my art is what i should be doing. I am influenced by all the great women of the past and present, be they known by all or admired and known only to me.

I draw and paint in a realistic style and my training as an artist consists of five years in a private art school in Montreal, Canada, otherwise i am self taught. It is important to me that i broach topics deemed taboo or not for polite company as i take comfort and satisfaction from all the artists of the past who created erotic art. I have had paintings in various Erotic Art Shows and Events, in Canada as well as in the USA. Many will note that my paintings are somewhat reminiscent of the old masters, this is because i have always had a profound love of their work.

My art has won awards and has found homes in many private collections. I live in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, surrounded by beautiful mountains and lakes, my two cats Violet and Corky and the love of my life.

Circé

Project idea and call out

Hi,

Since coming back to my art, i've been concentrating my efforts on producing a series of pieces around the idea of vaginas, more specifically, the voices of women through the vagina. What can i say, i am SO in awe of Eve Ensler's * Vagina Monologues * and what it says to me as a woman that i just had to lend my voice.

Soon, this present project will be completed and i'm already looking at creating another. I'm hoping to assemble a group of women interested in putting together an Art Show. I don't yet have all the details but i would like to make it so that a small percentage of all sales went to a Women's Shelter. Any women artist who come across this blog, please do not hesitate in contacting me as i'm certain we can work together to bring this idea to fruition. For the sake of understanding; i'm in the province of Quebec and would work with any woman ( any self-identified woman ) in the province or in Canada.

Joëlle

In my new studio

Well, it's been about two weeks or so since i've been in a position to paint given that we just moved in and had sooooooo much boxes to unpack and get an electrician to come by and install four sets of neons for my studio.

Today, i finally took the day to resume painting, what joy. I worked on two paintings that i had begun before our move and started a new pastel. As soon as they are done, i will post them on this blog.

I'm thinking that i might stop the series on vaginas at ten or twelve because i'm simply not sure what will become of them once the exhibit in march is over; will they sell, will they collect dust, lol.

I'm starting to go out for short walks and am taking photos of the landscape around our mountain home, the area is simply breathtaking with it's mountains, forests and lakes. I'm told that tourists invade the area every summer and so i'm thinking it would be nice to have some landscape pieces ready.

Lert me hear from you, what you think of my art, what you'd like to see and any comments about art in general.

Circe