BFA Solo Exhibition - Jess Dowell - Gallery 2

Exhibition Dates: April 26-29, 2022

VISCIDS

The mutations of bodily subjects in my work engage in private, honest exchanges and leave a trace left by touch. They assert themselves on any surface they land on — often visually contrasting materials such as delicate fabric, the overly embellished material we often wrap ourselves in. These traces leave an imprint of memory and remnants of bodily fragments. Parts of themselves are left for examination. The natural truths and quality of the flesh are altered by using a combination of synthetic materials in sex objects like latex and silicone. These alterations take on qualities of sexual organs and synthetic sex objects without a binary lens by displaying these mutations as tangled disfigurements of genitally ambiguous forms. Qualities of viscosity appear in these configurations to bring a sense of fluidity and sensuality, allowing the viewer to engage in uncovering what they find palatable or unpalatable.

When we are hungry, our appetites broaden. Our standards loosen and reconsider. Our desires intensify when we are ravenous. Having a release is a biological need, and we engage in these exchanges for gratification within ourselves and others. I aim to give the voyeurs a space to question their appetite for the forms and assign a value to the flesh. Providing a space for others to understand alternative appetites breaks down the walls surrounding these private moments to discover that they are multi-layered, complex, and more what we see on the surface.