Old hag. Over the hill. Battle-axe. Old biddy. She’s such a Karen! So many creative ways to
insult an older woman. Who knew crows’ feet and saggy tits could cause so
much disdain. Seriously, why are
we so scared of getting old? It’s strange because “vintage” is so trendy, I guess
just not vintage humans. Why is it that older women are seen through such a
negative lens? I had the pleasure of listening
to Eve Provost Chartrand discuss her work recently. Centred around themes of ageing,
ageism, death, regeneration and the metaphysical connections we make to objects
and the departed; she explores the mental burden these
negative social constructs place on women over a certain age and how those
negativities invade the physical body. As there are many different approaches
to ageing globally, Eve has chosen to look specifically at middle aged white women
in North America. Inspired by the tragedy
of witnessing her parents suffer from degenerative diseases in the final years
of their lives, and the loss of agency they experienced, her sculptures and assemblages act as
a tangible re-establishment of emotional bonds, and portray the eternal perpetuation
of life.
In her piece titled Conservo, she states, “I wanted
to create family portraits of both my parents and me and found objects that
most effectively represented and recalled my mother’s and father’s late health
struggles, hence the bed pan and the urinal, as well as my own frays with the
degenerative state of my own ageing body, ergo the pie safe and reversed spinal
cord.” (EveProvostChartrand, 2021) Here she uses clinical, sterile objects as
the central theme of each piece, yet they become more of a plinth for the
decorative adornments that surround. The collection of curiosities instead becomes
the focus of interest. As in life, it is not our final moments that define us
but the culmination of memories and experiences.
The delicate undulating floral like curves of the fungi and elaborate
rococo adornments of The Saprotrophic body are in direct juxtaposition with
the grotesque Specimen # 2. Its deep cavernous shape rimmed with human
teeth and filled with beads in similar shade to that of oral tissues is akin to
that of a horror film. She complements her pieces by writing poetry
and taking bacterial samples from the objects. This layering of her concept expands the channels
of comprehension for the viewer, giving a well-rounded view, thus opening a window into the deeply personal
connection she has to her work. Her words conjure up visions of tenderness and
childlike innocence. As a result, the repulsion softens and is transformed into
an affinity for the owner of the objects.
The bacteria growth in
the petri dish come with surprising results, the samples taken live, grow, and
reproduce. Despite potentially having existed without any use for years, they
still contain living organisms, potentially organisms from the previous owner.
They contain a living essence, that essence is both tangible and made visible
through the growth within the petri dish, but even more intriguing is the intangible, enigmatic
sense of soul that is connected to the item. We relate bacteria to the
realm of living, and somehow once the items cease to be used, it would seem any connection to the living stops, illogical I know, but
so often we are guilty of unconsciously seeing life in finalities. Eve’s work challenges
those habits of compartmentalising.
A study in feminist Gerontology found that older women are culturally devalued, and older women’s bodies are judged harshly for showing signs of age. (Garner, 1999) In a world where Botox and plastic surgery have become commonplace, many live in fear of aging and losing their aesthetic appeal. Eve’s work shows the beauty and worthiness in all stages of the evolutionary process of life, that there is no definitive end and every living organism makes a contribution.
Eve Provost Chartrand https://www.eveprovostchartrand.com/ [Accessed
18/2/2021]
Garner, J.D. (1999) ‘Feminism and Feminist Gerontology’ in Journal
of Women & Aging, v. 11, n. 02, pp.3-12.
Sabik, Natalie J. (2013) ‘Ageism and Body Esteem:
Associations With Psychological Well-Being Among Late Middle-Aged African
American and European American Women’ in The Journals of Gerontology: Series
B, v. 70, no. 2, March 2015, pp. 189–199.
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