Sterile Rot

Title

Sterile Rot

Creator

Terzieva, Iva

Abstract

“Sterile Rot” dissects the internalized and external sexualization of the female body through the lens of the medical gaze. Through a blend of paintings and video the work confronts the uncomfortable romanticization of the female body in pain, in compromising positions, its leakage, raw form juxtaposed to the concreteness and sterility of medical equipment. The body emerges not merely as a vessel of expression, but as a tool itself, challenging viewers to confront the complexities of power dynamics and the commodification of female pain in contemporary society.

Artist Statement

Sterile Rot investigates the internalized and external sexualization of the female body through the medical gaze, examining the romanticizing of the woman’s body in pain through a series of paintings and video. The raw, soft, and fluid form of the body is juxtaposed with the concreteness and sterility of medical tools – the body becomes a tool and vice versa.

Keywords

medical gaze

medical institution

female body

Subject

Visual Arts

Date Available

June 10, 2024

Type

featured on compilation video of senior art exhibition

Course

AR 4941 Senior Project II

Instructor

Nelson, Jennifer

Session

Time-based media & Theatre arts

Location

Library cafe