REPRODUCTION AND SEXUALITY

REPRODUCTION AND SEXUALITY

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The artists Louise Bourgeois and Constantin Brancusi are two sculptors who provide symbolism of the male and female sexuality in a variety of ways that are distinct from one another. In one of Bourgeois’ works, Cumul 1, a three-dimensional form is presented, which needs to be viewed from the aerial perspective[1]. The image depicts mounds of rounded shapes that seem to be partly covered by pieces of fabric. In this case, the artist’s expression is both abstract yet meaningful in providing messages about the male and female sexuality. One way in which the image can be interpreted is that the rounded shapes that surface from the flatness of the base provide symbolism of the male phallic forms as well as the female breasts. An important aspect of sexuality offered here is that it is non-binary. Sexuality can be expressed in a variety of different forms. Additionally, Bourgeois presents these rounded shapes in various styles that can be interpreted in many different ways. Her work in this case is metaphoric, vivid, and descriptive.

Louis Bourgeois’ work in Cumul 1 is in a way more descriptive than that of Constantin Brancusi, whose work is more abstracted. His work Torso of a Young Man can be considered more abstracted in that it requires a deeper level of insight into the motive and inspiration of the sculptor[2]. The less vivid representation depicts an illustration of a torso that is placed on top of wooden legs. The top picture, which is made of brass, presents the torso region without the hands and head on the upper part and cut at the thighs on the lower part. The torso is generally cylindrical and straight as opposed to being curved in a similar way to the curves found in the human body. The point where the legs meet with the torso is attached at an angle. The depiction vaguely represents the pelvic region of the body. In this sense, a viewer will take more time to decipher the sculpture as a torso of a human body. However, when seen as a torso, the image is devoid of the male genitalia, which should occur in the groin area. In essence, this shows an absence of sexuality in the model.

However, when viewed from a different perspective, the Torso of a Young Man also appears to depict the image of the male genitalia. Other interpreters have seen the upper section as that resembling a phallic shape with testes. In this sense, sexuality is represented in a much more vivid way. The varying representation of the image seemed to be the intention of the sculptor owing to the similarity as well as the validity of these two interpretations[3]. It was consequently left to the imagination of a viewer, who would create the essence of the image as it appeared to them.

The sculptors wished to portray the overall essence of symbols in depicting human sexuality as opposed to simply providing the images in their true forms. Thus, when compared to the work by Bourgeois, Brancusi’s work possesses less curvature, and is therefore more simplistic. By using unique yet simplistic forms, Brancusi was able to depict human sexuality in a more abstract way that allowed viewers room to draw varying conclusions yet arrive at a blanket concepts centering on sexuality. Both Brancusi and Bourgeois believed in the more substantial idea and importance of things rather than how they appeared in their literal forms.

Bibliography

Khan Academy. “Louise Bourgeois, Cumul 1: The Reality of the Three Dimensional Form” accessed February 28 2018, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/global-culture/identity-body/identity-body-united-states/a/louise-bourgeois-cumul-i/

Lazzari, Margaret, and Dona Schlesier. Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach. Cengage Learning, 2011.

[1] Khan Academy, “Louise Bourgeois, Cumul 1: The Reality of the Three Dimensional Form,” Last Edited Date, February 28 2018, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/global-culture/identity-body/identity-body-united-states/a/louise-bourgeois-cumul-i/

[2] Lazzari, Margaret and Dona Schlesier, Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach (Cengage Learning, 2011), 182

[3] Lazzari, Margaret and Dona Schlesier, Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach (Cengage Learning, 2011), 182