I had a conversation with Anne Mondro a week or two ago about my project and she turned me on to these 18th century medical female anatomy models. To me, the most striking and relevant aspect of these models is the lack of representing any sexual organs. Instead, the distinction found in the female body is shown by this special pocket in the abdomen that holds her unborn child. Perhaps even more significant is the image of the female body when it is not carrying a child:
the female body is literally left with a void in her anatomy. I've become incredibly interested with exploring the image ability of this "void" and the ideas it promotes about the female body, specifically that female sexuality is not significant and instead her body primarily serves as a cite for reproduction and when it is not reproducing it is essentially useless and devoid of substance. I'm interested in drafting variations of this "void" in prints that can be transferred onto my body and perhaps combining this image with current understandings and images of the female body (including musculature, veins and organs.
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