subtley inspired:

The special exhibition was artist Ghada Amer, Love Has no End and it inspired- but the inspiration was more subtle:
The inspiration found did not blow me away, but I feel like it seeped into me and is still spreading its wings.

Amer's work texturally and visually is very beautiful and seductive...she does her "paintings" with what she calls "thread drips."


And the signature thread drips really make the work have a stunning visual technique.
Yet, I still have mixed feelings about her concept.
I understand what she is trying to do with the re-appropriation of the pornographic image but am not sure if I totally buy it.


In my opinion her concept works best when she puts the pornographic images with images of over-sexualized Disney cartoon characters, such as Belle from Beauty and the Beast or Ariel...
For me this works more successfully as a critique. (thought the above image was far from my favorite of that series)


I was less familiar with her work that uses text but I found it very interesting...
like I said not blown away but the show definitely had me coming up with new ideas and techniques as I saw how she creates/designs her work.

The above work titled Barbie loves Ken/ Ken loves Barbie was one of my favorites. With the simple repetition of those 2 phrases on these 2 life size forms... I heard something more.

Amer's work is described:

Viewing Amer's hand-embroidered paintings, with their delicate traceries of stray threads, involves a visual shift, as what appears to be a mass of abstract lines gradually comes into focus as highly erotic figures, displayed in a repetitive pattern. The work refuses to bow to the puritanical elements of both Western and Islamic culture, and what could be called €œinstitutionalized feminism," with its own persistent myth of feminine virtue.

What do you think of her work? Concept? Statement?