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Will you pet my pussy?
Connect me with Shelby Wynne Richardson
Description
Shelby Wynne Richardson?s Will You Pet My Pussy? begins to offer an alternative dialogue surrounding sex: a narrative of sex positivity free from heteronormative narratives. Utilizing the power of language and touch, this artist book begins to reclaim space for accurate conversations surrounding female sexuality. The way language and skills are learned as a child through touch, play, books, etc, the truth surrounding queer female sex can be seemingly relearned as an adult.
There is a way to make me purr
If you will listen close to her
Will you pet my pussy?
First tickle on my inner thighs
In foreplay please be slow not shy
Will you pet my pussy?
You think perhaps she should be bare
But some of us, we like our hair!
Will you pet my pussy?
Please stroke the lips as she advises
They come in colors, shapes, and sizes
Will you pet my pussy?
There is a spot we like the best
My girlfriend?s hand can never rest
Will you pet my pussy?
You might feel a splash for job well done
Don?t worry sweetheart, it?s just cum
Will you pet my pussy?
You can play with pussy if you're asked.
Otherwise she might grab back.
Will you pet my pussy?
The use of hand stamped lettering creates an aesthetic similar to queer punk zines that is both graphic and offers a nod to the radicals of the past, who often used zines and other distribution materials as a way of educating the public and sharing knowledge. The emphasis of each page is repeated: Will You Pet My Pussy? in gold glittering letters that mirror the abstracted glittered forms on each page. Imagery of spread legs, hairy vaginas, female ejaculation, clitorises, and labia with teeth might be that of the heteronormative nightmare, but for Richardson serve as beacons of hope, light and celebration. The pussy is a place of mystery, but also a place of power that serves a million other functions outside of a heterosexual narrative.
Other Projects by Shelby Wynne Richardson
Shelby Wynne Richardson
MFA Student
Major: Sculpture
Graduation Year: 2017
Artist Statement:
Queer, for many, acts as an identifier. A proclamation of otherness or an unapologetic refusal to define oneself in the language of a culture not their own. Yet, most often queer acts strongest as verb. Queer: an action taken to dismantle that which does not apply. Queering spaces to give purpose. Queering materials and language to provide beacons and reminders of hope. Queering our narratives. Queerings the rules.
Through various methods of visibility, such as material culture or community driven discourse, my work aims to create lesbian cultural space for growth and empowerment. The reclamation of language, narratives, and sex positive dialogue works in opposition to patriarchal expectations and provides a sense of support for those feeling their stories are not part of the larger constellation of disenfranchised “others”. The reality is that queer bodies, specifically queer female bodies, need each other now more than ever.
Capitalizing on the perceptibility of certain materials and the overperformance of oneself, I begin to explore and push the boundaries of identity; reclaiming the underbelly of the visual culture while shining visibility on the queerness of my existence. Rooted between many places I am constantly drawing influence from the Instagram famous, those who wear their “plastic-ness” on their sleeves, and embrace fully the absurdity and spectacle of the feminine, and yet my life has never existed without the legacy and tradition of craft resting firmly on my shoulders.
The specificity of my materials is many times as important as my content, as I search for ways to utilize inherent metaphors or aesthetic qualities to reinforce my continued visual narratives. Through building these narratives surrounding queer female identity I contribute to the ontological experience of collective storytelling in which those who experience feelings of “otherness” find personal reclamation in the identification of a space made just for them. Through my use of adornment, glitter, and kitsch I elevate these materials while at the same time making cultural space for those who share in feelings of cultural invisibility.
I can see you. Do you see me too?