DANGEROUS WOMEN

Dangerous Women installation is part of Elisa Johns window art project. It was on view in March 2021 at 200 Manchester Ave., Inglewood. Past artists have been Elisa Johns herself, Renee Fox, Helen Rebekah Garber, Sydney Croskery, Kathleen Melian, Diane Silver, Lucian Abait, Ann Diener, and Chelsea Boxwell with more artists to come. For an artist talk moderated by Kristine Schomaker press link: Dangerous Women Artist Talk

Women are often demonized for using their beauty to get what they want. They are also punished if they are not attractive enough. In my work, I explore ancient cultures and study how they laid the foundation for the treatment of women today.

In the Old Testament the stories of these beautiful and powerful women; Salome, Delilah, Judith, Bathsheba, and Jezebel serve as a warning for men to protect their male-dominated sexual hierarchy. During the Renaissance, these women were popular subjects for paintings and were considered amusing for their reversal of roles. They were also reminders that men were in charge.

These ancient tales have made women into the ‘other,’ non-human, and perpetuates our patriarchal society. I focus on these women because it is important to remember where these archaic attitudes came from.

 .