KATE HUGHES

Terra Femme

What happens when the sublime meets the feminine? When nature meets fantasy? Where aesthetic beauty meets reprehensible histories? My work exists at the intersection of femininity and the culpability of colonial imposition Looking at how feminine aesthetics make sense and take control of an unfamiliar and seemingly hostile environment through domestic arts. Exquisitely detailed etched landscapes emphasise naturalistic and historic views of wilderness spaces. The greyscale palette and traditional media give a sense of authenticity and documentary truth that is broken by the very personal form of underwear. Exploring how art and craft turn place into home, creating an intimacy of space. Silk, lace, ruffles and beading transform the picturesque views into a new girly wilderness.On closer inspection the landscape is a complete fantasy with snow-capped peaks towering above the Australian bush.

The form of feminine lingerie also interrogates the control and display of femme bodies, which are dually perceived as obscene and desirable much like sites of colonization. The sculptures embrace the eroticism of lingerie being tossed aside after stripping off the body. The photographs document the garments as worn, a flimsy layer between the body and the land.  Hands stretch and crumple the garments, dressing and undressing, making the landscape shift and distort, illustrating the permeability of the relationship to place.

Website: katehughes.net

Instagram: @katehughes_art