Clearcoat

Clearcoat is a series of artworks that draw parallels between the sleek curves and seductive finish of classic cars and the male gaze of the female body. Intensive research into classic car color schemes and design aesthetic found in vintage Playboy magazines, forms a foundation for this new body of work.

This work is in conversation with the “Finish Fetish” art movement of the 1960s, a period inspired by California surf and car culture and characterized by a fascination with glossy, seductive finishes, minimalist sculptural forms, and an art world establishment marked by sexism and a predominance of male artists. I am turning this macho ideology upside down by sculpting and casting traditionally feminine objects such as a dress and high heeled shoes out of the auto repair material, Bondo®. The sculptures are finished with automotive paint and clearcoat, creating a high-gloss surface that almost appears wet. By transforming soft fabric into a hard surface, I am creating an object that takes on the form of female body armor.