Born to Shock

During 1992 and 1993 I have produced and exhibited paintings and drawings under the title BORN TO SHOCK. The imagery within this show dealt with political and moral issues. The technique was adept using oil paint and gold leaf, brilliant colors and glossy surfaces. The opulence served to seduce the viewer to confront a message of a challenging nature:

Eg: POOR ALICE FOUND HERSELF DROWNING IN A SALT SEA OF USED CONDOMS
      NO TAMPONS IN THE TOILET
      I'M GLAD THAT I KNEW HIM IN THE BIBLICAL SENSE

The videos BREASTS PROTEST ANONYMOUS, A BEVY OF BEAUTIES and TRASHY LINGERIE AT THE CAPPUCCINO BAR uses the documentation of a performance art piece to vivify a female perspective of sexual ideas. The paintings A GARDEN OF EDEN and WORSHIP AT THE DELTA also fall within this category.

I have been called a "controversial" artist by the media and critics. Although I am aware of the pitfalls of making a career of controversy I intentionally write the media into the "scripts" of my work as a method of multiplying the life of the imagery. I don't use media potential as my basic premise. The issues I address come from my perspective as a woman within the framework of our contemporary society. I edit ideas and build works over a duration involving critical decisions and definitive feminine wit.

Julie Oakes