STEPHANIE NEVILLE


Confessions of a Bored Housewife



2013



Concept



The installation presents the opportunity to embrace fantasies. Furnished with anthropomorphic ‘fantasy furniture’, audience interaction is encouraged. Furniture is fashioned from elements reminiscent of masculine and feminine forms. The yonic and phallic floral imagery suggests abstract anatomical characteristics, illustrating the bizarre that oftentimes exists in a fantasy world. Visual and tactile stimulations are invited by the various jewel coloured fabrics. Audible narrations of adult romance novels whisper seductively from within the structures, while the video shows sexually arousing, emotive moments from film and television. The scenes provide an escape from a boring life. Further, they become visual aids to fantasy and self-pleasuring.


Catalog

Throne



Crafted in honour of the clitoris, Throne emphasizes the clitoris as the ultimate sex organ, elevating women’s stature to that of superior sexual beings. Adorned with peacock feathers, the symbolism as the “gatekeeper to heaven” is emphasized. Conceptually, ‘heaven’ is a metaphor for the experience of orgasmic pleasure.







Fantasy Field



Fantasy Field consists of a group of free-standing soft sculptures and visitors are encouraged to interact with the sculptures and explore physical contact with the fantastical elements.



BeanBag



Bean Bag is a large bean bag comprising upright appendages, reminiscent of the phallus. Inspiration for shapes and colours are taken from Yayoi Kusama’s whimsical installations. Visitors are encouraged sit on the furniture and explore the physical contact with the fantastical elements.







Umbrella



The name Umbrella (2013) denotes protection or security. Two chairs are placed under the arch of the tall soft sculpture in order to listen to Fantasy Field, Bean Bag, Umbrella narrations from adult romance novels.



Flowers



Floral metaphors manifest in the handmade fabric Fantasy Flowers embedded in my installation. This installation is intended to simulate the eroticism associated with the depiction of the feminine in a fantastical manner. The process of hand stitched flowers references the silence, concentration and rigid posture of the embroiderer, alluding to “autonomy”. I have employed the medium of stitching as a metaphor for masturbation. The stigma of masturbation prompts the idiom “the devil finds work for idle hands”. Antiquated medical and religious views oppose the act, consequently leaving those who indulge in masturbation with feelings of guilt and embarrassment. Shelton demands the recognition of masturbation as a safe-sex alternative for couples experiencing work-related separation. He posits that masturbation should be encouraged for both partners to maintain fidelity.





Po Box 62298
dubai, uae



stephanieneville.com