Through The Serpent, I reclaim the snake as a feminine symbol of power by humanizing it and therefore using it as a metaphor to question the villainization of women in religion. The snake is also personalized through this piece, with my fragmented and distorted self-portrait being used as the scales. My image on The Serpent reminds the viewer that the role of women in society as a shameful figure is a continuously relevant threat. The tail of the snake branches out in a sort of breast-like or fruit cluster formation. The rattler acts as a feminine warning and a resistance to the misogynistic portrayal of women in religion and society. The repossession of this traditional imagery helps to give the snake and the role of women in our culture a new meaning.

 

Scholastic Silver Key Award

​

Materials

Self portrait photographs, clay, plaster