Preying Mantra
Wangechi Mutu. 2006 C.E. Mixed media on Mylar
The function of this piece is to invite viewers to explore the stereotypes about the female African body as explicitly sexual, dangerous, and aesthetically deformed in relation to those of Western lands.
Form:
-mixed media on mylar
-2006
-Kenya-born NY based artist
-Collaged female figures composed of human, animal, object, and machine parts
Function:
-commentary on the female persona in art history
invites the viewer to question our perception of the female body and sexuality, particularly that of the African woman
Content:
-woman reclined in a relaxed position
-green snake interlocks with her fingers
-bird feathers on the back of her head
-left ear lobe has chicken feet, insect legs, and pinchers
-ironic twist on the praying mantis
-religious rituals
-mantis means "prophet" in Greek
-insects use camouflage: this figure seems camouflaged
a woman reclines on a blanket, the patten of which resembles the cloth of the Kuba people; holds a snake in one hand - reference to Adam and Eve?; skin is dappled like light coming from trees, she is enveloped by this tree - connection to nature and the natural and animalistic worlds; themes of hybridity, sexuality, and female perception
CONTEXT:
Mutu was from Kenya, and her home country often influenced her work; she was also interested in feminism
