Rosemary Meza
Back in 2000, Meza-DesPlas was working on a large-scale wall drawing when a friend remarked that her work was so thin and fine that it reminded her of human hair. And it all happened from there. Before long, she began experimenting, initially attempting to glue the hair — “too messy,” Meza-DesPlas says — and eventually sewing it to a canvas. Though the process was very time-consuming, she was happy with the result.
“It’s a nice idea that my hair is living on, being recycled, if you will, and being given a new context in artwork,” - Artist Quote.
Artist Statement
My studio practice focuses on the creation of artworks in a variety of media with an emphasis on hand-sewn hair drawings and watercolours. The artwork reflects contemporary notions of gender issues and feminism. These areas of study offer a fluid perspective on female history and the subsequent impact on social structures. The imagery used is appropriated from art historical depictions of women and re-contextualised to produce a contemporary meaning. My artwork examines the impact of popular culture on the female psyche and its relationship to art history and society in general. I am interested in the correlation between violence, the sexy and femininity. There is something disfiguring about a woman holding a weapon. The sight runs counter-intuitive to “mom & apple pie.” The veracity of the pose refutes the notion of “sexiness” and the form of the female figure becomes contorted with a sense of the uncomfortable.
My artwork is figurative from fragments to whole figures. It focuses on the materiality of the female body. The body is a medium of culture. In some artworks the isolated and silent body parts of the breast and the buttock communicate to the viewer in a provocative language. They speak about sexism, ageism, eroticism and maternity. I address these sexualized forms with a concentration on volume, weight, and imperfections of the flesh.
Reflection
There are things I have taken away from seeing this artist work and things I have left behind. Overall it is her chose of material and the way she uses it that intrigues me, not the subject matter the artist deals with. As I start to deal with hair, I find more and more creative ways artists have used it, but there seems to be a gap between the way it is being used. For my own practise I look at materials as friends, I either try and tell there story or ask them to aid me in telling mine. Although I see how the sexual nature of the artist work may match well with the use of hair, it seems to me that it is just the means to an end. That the concept behind the work is almost pop based, dealing with current issues through illustrative images. As I look into the work more I see how much skill goes in to sewing with hair, and I am impressed. But there is something that just doesn't resonate with me about the work overall, perhaps it is just the difference in of interest.
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