Helen Beard
There Is No Gate, No Lock, No Bolt That You Can Set Upon The Freedom Of My Mind, 2024
Oil on stretched canvas
182 x 122 cm
Signed, titled and dated on verso
Copyright The Artist
Further images
'This title comes from Virginia Woolf's 'A Room of One’s Own' which is considered an early feminist text. For me, the quote is all about freedom!' 'Pole dancing is a...
'This title comes from Virginia Woolf's 'A Room of One’s Own' which is considered an early feminist text. For me, the quote is all about freedom!'
'Pole dancing is a very interesting activity. Its origins lie in performance designed for the male gaze, yet, increasingly, many women are using it as a platform for empowerment, subverting its original purpose. It requires a huge amount of strength and, at the same time, it consists of delicate movements, using one’s own body weight to shift and rock. The grip of limbs on the pole is intense, but the performance requires it to look effortless.'
'FKA twigs really inspired me when creating this work. Her video for ‘Cellophane’ demonstrated the discipline of pole dancing, but also expressed the freedom inherent in dance rather than the constraints of performance. It didn’t feel like she was doing it for anyone but herself.'
'Ultimately, pole dancing demonstrates the incredible capabilities of the female body - encompassing power, sexuality and beauty.'
Helen Beard 2024
'Pole dancing is a very interesting activity. Its origins lie in performance designed for the male gaze, yet, increasingly, many women are using it as a platform for empowerment, subverting its original purpose. It requires a huge amount of strength and, at the same time, it consists of delicate movements, using one’s own body weight to shift and rock. The grip of limbs on the pole is intense, but the performance requires it to look effortless.'
'FKA twigs really inspired me when creating this work. Her video for ‘Cellophane’ demonstrated the discipline of pole dancing, but also expressed the freedom inherent in dance rather than the constraints of performance. It didn’t feel like she was doing it for anyone but herself.'
'Ultimately, pole dancing demonstrates the incredible capabilities of the female body - encompassing power, sexuality and beauty.'
Helen Beard 2024
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