SanDisk
Public Art Sculpture Beaded: Shahzia Sikander’s
Public Art Sculpture Beaded: Shahzia Sikander’s “Witness” at the University of Houston
#Public #Art #Sculpture #Beaded #Shahzia #Sikanders
“Art Prof: Create & Critique”
Shahzia Sikander’s outdoor sculpture, “Witness” on display at the University of Houston was beheaded. The artist insisted that the sculpture not be repaired.
SHAHZIA SIKANDER, ARTICLES
Statue Honoring Women and Justice Vandalized at University of Houston:…
source
To see the full content, share this page by clicking one of the buttons below |
See more art news videos in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvt8_pMl6ywnTOofIhrsy9Bs06ijoZIQW
I think the scupture is us opposing with courage. It is both honest and painful to keep her unrepaired. Wise artist
As a woman I can honestly say that I find these statues creepy and evil looking. Let’s call it what it is, satanic. You can call it whatever you want, you have the freedom to do so, but I saw this as satanic the second I looked at it. No one influenced me to feel that way. Isn’t the interpretation up to the viewer as well?
My first instinct was not to repair it. It really is a testament to the peril women are in today. The skirt looks like a crinoline to me harking back to an era when women had no choice. love the colour and the huge hair. It is unmistakably a celebration of a young female form…fallopian tubes and all.
also every Guillermo Del Toro character must be satanic then because that's basically what she looks like
she looks divine to me, like an ancient earth goddess devoted to healing the sick and guarding the vulnerable
I hope it never gets repaired. the world must bear witness to the vitriol and loathing that white male society still holds for women, especially middle eastern women and other women of color. the world must endure the rage and discomfort, sit with it, and then channel it toward building a better society for all peoples
This is a hate crime against women and it’s infuriating that it isn’t treated as such. Women have to cope with so much violence that men inflict upon them. I don’t know why men hate women so much, I really just don’t understand it. What a beautiful sculpture to be ruined and it’s symbolic of what happens to women everyday.
Hi 🙂
Can't see chat after the fact, but arms read both as absent/powerlessness AND as Fallopian tubes abstracted. The rest of the figure becomes a caged/suspended womb and birth canal. She cannot use arms or legs.
The horns of hair possibly reference folklore beings across Eurasia, and contemporary paganism, in which the horns symbolize the growth of wisdom/magic.
I'd like to see this fixed with the history written on the plaque. Although the artist does not agree. She deserves to have the final say!
I think "witness" is both unsettling and not. Her noodly, tendril appendages are other-worldly, but not – reminiscent of something organic, like you said – like vines.
Likening her hair to rams horns is an obvious connection to make; however, my first impression was that her hair was braided and defining gravity (law) in a spiral, which makes me think of time. We, as human beings, have many interpretations of the nature of time: some believe time is a straight line, others think it's a flat circle, perhaps an ocean, or spiral, or more ironically, a figure 8.
I think I prefer "now" because I'm projecting an ideal of untethered freedom. What woman among us is truly free? Perhaps in that context, it is all the more an act of violence, terrorism, and colonialism that "witness" was beheaded.
In my humble opinion, the Houston sculpture effectively conveys the idea that women require a protective barrier against those who seek to dictate their bodily autonomy. I firmly believe that art reaches its full potential when it is complete, and I would not suggest any alterations to this particular piece. Its current form powerfully underscores the societal treatment of women, and until such treatment improves, I see no reason to modify it. However, I do propose an update to the accompanying plaque.
No one has mentioned the ‘arms’ which to me suggest the transfer of thought into action. Or the neural connection that invokes action. They had me baffled for a bit, till I thought of multidimensional thinking. As the inspiration for this piece is no longer with us but the effects of her life are and have a profound effect on American , and by extension people elsewhere , lives. So in spite of the absence of the head it is still very powerful. Erasing heads and faces is nothing new in human history, but we still value what is left.
These rising fascist populations in America are trying to rise higher than the angels by sinking lower than the beasts. They've made it clear they will demonize anything that doesn't fit their agenda of returning everyone to the 1850's which for women means literal slavery. I really like the ties the curly horn-hair has to both old pagan religions where women were respected and not denigrated, as well as modern ties to the Satanic Temple (not the Church of Satan which are the actual Satanists), which is a non-religious group formed for political reasons to oppose modern Christian-based oppression over the rights of citizens, like women. I agree with the artist leaving the head gone, it makes a much stronger statement.
Her body is feminine, but not overly sexualized. The focus of the artwork is on her face and heart. I interpret the face as a representation of the soul. I understand that some people may misinterpret the hair as horns, and the arms as tentacles, which may require deeper contemplation that some individuals may not be willing to engage in. Many people base their reactions on emotions and personal experiences, rather than seeking to understand the artist's intended message.
I never heard of this piece or of what happened to it. It's shocking that someone would go to such length (especially considering the logistics needed to do it). And I agree, the nature of the vandalism is incredibly violent! Did they find out who did it and why? There's quite a gap between calling something satanic and beheading.
I will say that, as someone with 0 context- not only of the artist and her history but also of the culture reffered, it did look somewhat sinister to me at first: the horns like hair, the tendril arms and the cage-globus the figure is emerging from/ wearing as a dress is quite something. The context helped a lot!
And I agree that the decision to not repair it makes this piece even stronger.
I never heard of this artist either, and I do try and keep up with what is going on. She certainly use references similar to the Singh twins, but has a far wider range. I love the works on paper, the long ones. I agree that the way the sculpture has been vandalised is making a very specific type of statement that I think there is no excuse for. Very powerful, interesting work. It challenges the viewer to ask what it is about, to question and interrogate its existence, but to vandalise it is out of order. Satanic does not exist. This is a woman’s hair. And maybe showing that women too can be powerful. And it is ok to be powerful and to protect things with that power. Thanks for the introduction.
Just heard your one word. Powerful.
Anyone thinking this is an affront has no idea of the actual role of a ram, which is not in some kind of horror story, that’s a horrible construct.
Good for Shazia for choosing not to repair the damage. It shows what half of humanity is up against.
Do we have to put security cameras up on all of the art that might upset the right?