" She had a way of pouting her lips exactly like that we have observed in the orangutan."
--Baron Georges Leopold Cuvier
"...and the buttocks of the Hottentot as a somewhat comic sign of the primitive, grotesque nature of the black female." --Charles Darwin
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Photo: Joanne Levey |
Long ago in a faraway land she was the butt of many jokes and a lightning rod for 19th century scientific scrutiny because of her extraordinary body parts: buttocks, genitals, breasts and lips. Who was she? The Venus Hottentot. Fast forward to the 21st century: The demand for more "junk in yo trunk" increased fivefold in the U.S. and in a crowded plastic surgeons office, today's woman complains to Dr. 902where ever: "My butt is too flat...." "My lips are too thin, etc, etc, etc." These comments should sound familiar as they are commonly spoken by a neighbor, Hollywood starlet, a family member, or perhaps even you! Could Charles Darwin and Georges Cuvier who had much to say about the Venus Hottentot's body parts have ever imagined that their professional descendants would be performing cosmetic surgery on women in order to re-create them in the image of the Venus Hottentot? She would've laughed her head off. The Venus Riff blends irony, satire, and social critique in a twisted, "burlesque-y" commentary on the fall and resurrection of womankind. Dance, music, and digital media intermingle in a theatrical exploration that shines an informed light on the past and present perceptions of the female body and the beginnings of what we call the cult of celebrity. |
>>Watch the artist interview on HERE's youtube.com
Performed in Culturemart 09 on a shared program with Amazingland.











