Common Misconceptions: Idealized Notions of a Pre-Historic World

By Jennifer Lillis
2022
Low relief paper casting, Risograph print on abaca paper, engraved acrylic case, Edition 3 of 5
$150

WPA Note:
This special edition book is a part of our "On Gathering" series.

Description:
Venus I
Mother goddess, fertility figure, fetish object, or good luck charm. Found in Willendorf, Austria; dated in the Upper Paleolithic Period; Oolithic Limestone, 11.1 cm

One of the earliest known depictions of the female form, the “Venus of Willendorf” has been an enigma to scholars, activists, and spiritual movements, with each having a unique interpretation to (her) origins. First termed “Venus” in the early 20th century, this figure was confined by an androcentric perception of the function of the female form in art and society and viewed as a symbol of fertility. Later claimed by modern feminist movements as the “Divine Feminine,” (she) became a symbol of the goddess.

While (her) form is static and unchanging, (her) meaning is mutable: a good-luck charm; an erotic fetish; a source of empowerment; an ideal embodied. These theories and interests have been constructed through (one’s) own understanding of gender and sexuality. What did (she) mean to (her) own people? Originally created in the Upper Paleolithic era, the migrating/ hunter gatherer lived in a different world that cannot be understood by those living in a different time.

Common Misconceptions: Idealized Notions of a Pre-Historic World re-presents this intimate figure as a mass-produced object, inviting the viewer to reflect on (her) subtle shifts and transformations in the 21st century.

About the Artist:
Jennifer Lillis (b. 1989) is a multi-disciplinary visual artist, teacher, and administrator based in Northern Virginia. She received her MFA in Visual Art and Technology from George Mason University in 2019, and her BA in Studio Art from Marymount University in 2012. Jennifer is the Gallery Manager at the McLean Project for the Arts, teaches Printmaking at George Mason University, co-producer of Paper Cuts, and founder of the print and book collective ELEMENTS.

This item is only available for in-store pick-up