The treatment of the body as the most direct media of expression and exteriorization of our own histories and relations has been for Erika Harrsch the central theme on her work. Presenting intimate aspects, inviting, seducing and turning us, suddenly, into unprepared voyeurs, evidencing a close relation between nature-psychology and sublimity.
Now, since March 8th , at Galeria Leme, her first solo exhibition in Brazil; Erika will be showing works from the object of desire series, a selection of 8 photographs C-prints called Imagoes. The exhibit will combine installation, photography, painting, drawing and a video.
The imagoes are photographs of butterflies digitally fused with female genitalia. Each specimen as well as genitalia differs from the others. Each fused genital and butterfly, both match in same country of origin. The names relate to butterfly scientific etymology. Imago, which in Latin means an idealized mental image of the other or the self, also means insect in its final adult stage, winged and sexually mature.
Also part of EROS-THANATOS is a video (one of Harrsch’s favourite medias), which registers an increasing number of butterflies in the same spot, until they cover the sky. The sound of the wings was recorded separately from the video camera and these were enhanced by specific sounds of individual butterflies. A “multilevel visual sound experience”, 12 minutes long, meticulously edited and worth every second of it.
These pieces portray the body–object relation, the sexualized woman who could be transformed into objects used and governed by money, collectible items in a culture that objectifies persons and personifies objects. This project will give image to the metamorphosis of female sexual organs into butterflies, recalling specimens intended for anatomic or scientific study which the viewer beholds with an intent look, free from the moral prejudice of a society where the most fragile and desirable parts of a woman’s body are fetishized or rendered inaccessible.
Born in Mexico City in 1970, has lived and worked in Mexico, Italy, Germany and New York. Harrsch will also, this year, showcase a multimedia piece called “Body Maps” with multidisciplinary group VisionIntoArt at the Whitney Museum; as a part of the performing residency at the Live Whitney program.