Ghada Amer begins by painting female figures onto the unfolded surfaces of discarded cardboard boxes, before transferring these portraits into clay, redrawing each of their features in relief. The clay models are cast, eventually realized as bronze sculptures. Amer’s tactile approach is reflected in the raised ridges of the outline across the surface that reveal the imprint of the artist’s hand. A quality of tenderness is brought to light upon close examination.
𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 exemplifies Amer’s long-standing concern regarding the gaze and the power dynamics at work in the act of looking. Paravents, or “folding screens,” were utilized as privacy devices, often used to conceal an (undressing) woman from view. Mass media have often portrayed screens in scenes of flirtation, seduction, or violations of privacy. Thus, Amer’s primary material of unfolded cardboard boxes serve as a metaphor for these screens, calling attention to the roles of the viewer and the viewed. In the 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, the female figure is depicted on both sides of the sculpture, defying notions of modesty.
Amer’s daring art practice of over three decades has undergone several transformations through two-dimensional works on canvas or paper, ceramics, site-specific garden works, and mixed-media installations before its manifestation in bronze; these new works signal a veritable breakthrough in her artistic trajectory.
Video by Hyunjung Rhee
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