EXCESS
eXCESS, aBJECTION & HYPERSEXUALIZATION: WOMEN IN HORROR
My creative and academic research seeks to explore the pervasive themes of excess, abjection, and the hypersexualization of the female form within the horror genre.
Through painting and sculpture, this project examines the intentional use of excess violence, in particular with the portrayal of female figures as victims, to evoke emotional reactions from viewers.
RESEARCH
CONCEPTUAL
My artwork is a visual translation of the research into the horror genre through the lens of a macabre aesthetic. Each piece tells a story about a female archetype.
FULL PROJECT
(5) OilPaintings - approx. 9000 sq in total
#1 - 36 x 48 in - 1728 sq in
#2 - 36 x 48 in - 1728 sq in
#3 - 24 x 48 in - 1152 sq in
#4 - 30 x 40 in - 1200 sq in
#5 - 24 x 36 in - 864 sq in
2) Clay Sculptures
#1 - Hare Mask
#2 - Ram Mask
PALETTE
Viridium
Pthalo Blue
Violet
Crimson
Lamp Black
Titanium White
LITERATURE
FILM BODIES: GENDER, GENRE, & EXCESS
Body Genres:
● Trigger physical reactions, evoking intense emotions.
● 3 types: horror, pornography, and melodrama.
● The body serves as the spectacle, showcasing intense visceral responses like convulsions, screams, or sobs.
Structure of Perversion:
● Female bodily excesses cater to the viewer's 'abnormal' perversions.
● Recent feminist studies suggest male viewers oscillate between identifying with passive victimhood and empowerment in horror.
● Male viewers identify with sadistic and masochistic roles.
Source: Gender and Survival vs. Death in Slasher Films(Gloria Cowan and Margaret O’Brien)
DATA
STEREOTYPICAL PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN SLASHER FILMS: THEN V.S. NOW
●Critiques how horror glorifies men's sexuality but punishes women's.
● Argues the genre dehumanizes characters, unleashing primal impulses like murder, violence, and sex.
● Notes how horror often justifies excessive gore and assault, disproportionately targeting female victims.
● Media's impact on societal behaviors regarding violence against women is significant. Abundant viewership desensitizes empathetic reactions.
● Study suggests a transition from the regulation stage to the respect stage of representations of women in slasher films.
PRELIMINARY SKETCHES
Gender and Survival vs. Death in Slasher Films (Gloria Cowan and Margaret O’Brien)
All done through digital photobashing on Procreate
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brewer, Chad. “The Stereotypic Portrayal of Women in Slasher Films: Then versus Now.” LSU Digital Commons, digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=gradschool_theses.
Clover, Carol J. Men, Women, and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. British Film Institute, 1996.
Cowan, Gloria, and Margaret O'Brien. “Gender and Survival vs. Death in Slasher Films: A Content..." ResearchGate, www.researchgate.net/publication/226194422_Gender_and_survival_vs_death_in_slasher_films_A_content_analysis.
Salzman, Eva. “Column: Horror Genre Has Relied on Female Sexuality.” The Ithacan, 17 Nov. 2021, theithacan.org/columns/lc-horror-genre-has-relied-on-female-sexuality/.
Williams, Linda. Contributors Linda Williams Film Bodies: Gender - Jstor Home. www.jstor.org/stable/1212758.
Wilson, Lena. “What Megan Fox Taught Me about the Power of Subversive Girls.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/movies/megan-fox-jennifers-body.html.