The Swimsuits series by French artist Fleur Spolidor focuses on Women’s Rights and the surreal situations that women face in society. The exhibition consists of twelve artworks, seven of which were previously displayed at the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in New York on the occasion of the Commission on Status of Women (CSW67, March 6 – 17) with an emphasis on achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
The number twelve stands for the twelve months of the year, reminding us that the fight for Women’s Rights should never stop. The artist paints them in acrylic on a collage of recycled materials, not only to upcycle, but also to create a rough textured surface, thus contrasting with the idea of classical painting being constructed as windows of a smooth, perfect world. The structure of the backgrounds shows through the painted images, marking the female bodies with ruggedness and imperfection in the manner of passing life that is imprinted in the flesh. By painting them wearing only bathing suits, the artist questions the narrative surrounding women’s bodies. She proposes an unambiguous look at the contemporary woman, imperfect, real and combative. All twelve paintings are large (72″x36″) life-size panels. Fleur Spolidor (www.artefleur.com) paints strong, life size women whose distress cannot be ignored any longer.
The exhibit is free and open to the public. It will be on display through November 30th at the site of the future Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Center on Thursdays from 10am – 3pm and Sundays, 10am – 5pm with the exception of holidays. The exhibition opened as part of NY State’s Path Through History Weekend October 7-8 with a reception and remarks by the artist. The Jay Estate has been a Path Through History site since 2014 when it was included as part of a thematic tour on Equal Rights and awarded official signage on the Hutchinson River Parkway.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by ArtsWestchester. It was one of 124 projects awarded a 2023 Arts Alive Grant on July 14.
