Gender issues - Lisa Brice Flashcards
When was Lisa Brice born?
1968
Where was Lisa Brice born?
Cape Town.
When and where did Lisa Brice graduate?
She graduated from the Michaelis School of Fine Art (UCT) in 1990.
Where has Lisa Brice exhibited?
She has exhibited widely in South Africa and abroad, and her work is represented in major collections both public and private.
Where does Lisa Brice live now?
She now lives and works in London and Trinidad.
What anthology has Lisa Brice’s work been included in?
Her works are internationally exhibited and she is included in Vitamin P2, an anthology of contemporary international painting.
What are Lisa Brice’s influences?
Knowledge of contemporary art practice in her range of materials.
What subject matter/themes does Lisa Brice explore in her artwork?
Violence and the fear of violence in South Africa. Also the position of women in society - exploitation and abuse.
What media is included in Lisa Brice’s art works?
A variety of new media such as found objects or domestic materials like linoleum, steel to make wall artworks, installations and sculptural pieces.
What was Brice trained as?
She was trained as a painter but this did not restrict her choice of media.
What do all Lisa Brice’s art works have in common?
They are immaculately finished.
What issues do Lisa Brice explore in her work?
She explored gender issues and the dehumanising of women in themes ranging from prostitution to stereotypes.
What themes are commonly found in Lisa Brice’s works?
Violence, threat of violence, domestic violence, personal violence, global violence, and social violence are constant themes in her work.
When did Lisa Brice create “Sex Show Works”?
1993
What style of work was “Sex Show Works” made in?
Stylised.
What medium and technique did Lisa Brice use to create “Sex Show Works”?
‘Laser copy’, plastic, printed paper, acrylic paint.
What does the “Sex Show Works” consist of?
In the “Sex Show Works” exhibition viewers are confronted by 9 sex kittens lined up on the walls and crawling forwards.
What are the “Sex Kittens” based on?
They are based on images from men’s magazines and are sexually provocative with their kneeling postures.
What do the faces of the “Sex Kittens” consist of?
Their faces consist only of pouting lips, while the rest is amputated. They are brainless sex machines.
Discuss the backgrounds of the “Sex Kittens”?
These cut outs have no background and seem to be sexual toys until one looks at the surface imagery.
What did the first group of “Sex Kittens” show?
They show enlarged microscopic images of venereal diseases.
Discuss the contradiction of the subject in “Sex Show Works”.
The come-on seductiveness of the pose was completely contradicted by the messages given off by a reading of the surface imagery of venereal diseases.
Describe “Sex Kitten (Aids Virus) Don’t Fuck With Me”.
A red Aids virus covers the body which contrasts with the red fishnet stockings and red lipstick.
Describe “Sex Kitten Cheap Cheap”.
The surface shows a one hundred dollar bill and French Franc to represent the financial aspect of the sex industry.
What effect does the contrast between the pretty girls and the surface imagery on them have?
At first glance they are just pretty pictures but on closer inspection they change into something frightening as one realises the true meaning.
What exposure did Lisa Brice draw on to create “Sex Show Works”?
These works are drawn from her exposure to the notorious sex entertainment industry of Bangkok.
What did the works in “Sex Show Works” examine?
These works examined the inherent degradation of women that serve as a means of holiday relaxation for wealthy male tourists drawn to a world in which sex with underage girls is the norm.
What shocked Lisa Brice about the Bangkok sex scene?
She was shocked by the exploitative situation where many of the young girls had been swapped by their parents for items like TV sets.
What issues does “Sex Show Works” relate to?
These works relate to gender issues and the dehumanising of women.
When did Lisa Brice create “Plastic makes perfect”.
1994
What medium and technique did Lisa Brice use to create “Plastic makes perfect”?
Barbie dolls, perspex, wood and vinyl.
Describe the subject of “Plastic makes perfect”.
In this series, Barbie dolls were placed in large exhibition cases with vinyl images on the glass.
What style of work did Lisa Brice use to create “Plastic makes perfect”?
Figurative.
Discuss the use of Barbies in “Plastic makes perfect”.
The dolls create interesting patterns standing in rows or with legs wide open.
What are the Barbies in “Plastic makes perfect” a symbol of?
They become a symbol of women seen as dolls.
What is the purpose of the vinyl images used in “Plastic makes perfect”?
The vinyl images on top change the meaning e.g. a profile drawing of a red brain - that the brain and thus the individuality of the woman is not recognised.
What does the hand with money notes in “Plastic makes perfect” illustrate?
It shows the importance of money in prostitution and other sex work.
Discuss the colours used in “Plastic makes perfect”.
The colour is typical feminine - the pink dolls with the red images on top.
What is the meaning of the title “Plastic makes perfect”?
The title refers to the dolls with their seemingly ideal shape, but also to how plastic the ideal woman should be with cosmetic procedures.
What does “Plastic makes perfect” investigate?
This series investigates female stereotypes - the origin of these stereotypes and how they enter a woman’s self-image.
What does Barbie symbolise?
The Barbie doll as a stereotypical image of a woman is well-known to Western women that grew up with this doll and strive to look like her.
What does Barbie look like?
Barbie, with her swelling breasts, small middle, long legs and soft hair is a combination of a woman’s ideal proportions, without considering the real person within.
