University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

My body knows it all

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My body knows it all

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Content MY BODY KNOWS IT ALL
by
Ludi Jiayi Zhu
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSKI SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF FINE ARTS
(DESIGN)
May 2024
Copyright 2024 Ludi Jiayi Zhu

ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures.............................................................................................................................. ii
Abstract……................................................................................................................................ iii
Chapter 1: Introduction…..............................................................................................................1
Chapter 2: Design Methodology..................................................................................................14
2.1 Case Study——SKIMS push-up nipple build-in..................................................................14
2.2 Bra and Visual Pleasure—-where are we at on feminism?.................................................19
Chapter 3: Presentation of Work.........................................................................................................27
3.1 Defying Expectations..............................................................................................................27
3.2 Material Selection and Application.................................................................................30
3.3 Clay work................................................................................................................................30
Chapter 4: Conclusion..........................................................................................................................37
Bibliography............................................................................................................................................39

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List of Figures
Figure 1. “The Perfect Body” ................................................................................................................. 1
Figure 2. Lips sofas in arts patron Edward James’s West Sussex dining room............................... 2
Figure 3. “Table, Chair, and Hatstand” ................................................................................................5
Figure 4. Premier Tower ..........................................................................................................................6
Figure 5. Screenshot of the video of Ghost by Beyoncé........................................................................7
Figure 6. Green Triptych............................................................................................................................9
Figure 7. Chillin’ with Liberty.................................................................................................................10
Figure 8. The Birth of Venus....................................................................................................................11
Figure 9. Olympia.....................................................................................................................................12
Figure 10. Venus of Urbino.....................................................................................................................12
Figure 11. SKIMS nipple built-in push-up bra....................................................................................16
Figure 12. A screenshot of SKIMS website .........................................................................................19
Figure 13. First bra Herminie Cadolle 1898 Runway Magazine........................................................23
Figure 14. Issue of Look, .........................................................................................................................25
Figure 15. Work in progress picture, 2024............................................................................................29
Figure 16. booblamp, 2023......................................................................................................................31
Figure 17. Boob skateboard, 2023..........................................................................................................32
Figure 18. Boob font, 2023......................................................................................................................33
Figure 19. Boob font, 2023......................................................................................................................33
Figure 20. Boob fountain in progress, 2023..........................................................................................34
Figure 21. RHS Wisley Exotic Garden Fountain.................................................................................35
Figure 22. Butt chair, 2023.....................................................................................................................35

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Abstract
My body knows it all
Ludi Jiayi Zhu

As I navigate through various public spaces, it is impossible to ignore the prevalence
of images of the female body. In art galleries, one historically sees a female body either framed,
hanging on the walls, or sculpted in the center of the room. The question raised for me is: How
did and why is the female body such a significant symbol in Western art history? Furthermore,
what would happen to the role of the female body with additional functionality?
The abuse of images of the female body is often toxic for young people, especially
women. It tends to lead women to think that the “perfect” imagery on billboards is the real
signifier of women, and they will not be women if they cannot meet the “standards” that society
has implied. Not to mention the patriarchal capitalist environment that we live in today. How can
women truly own the imagery of women?
Design for me is a conversation with and commentary about societal issues that affect
me as a woman. I want to encourage positive change and meaningful interactions with my
audience. I want to spark their interest and imagination with something to think about. Like any
creative expression, it is about allowing interpretation and contemplation. I want to contribute to
a dialogue that fosters understanding and connection. Instead of passively receiving my work,
they participate in a discourse. My design aims to unite viewpoints, emotions, and fresh
discoveries, try to make pieces that stimulate reflection, and offer multiple meanings so viewers
may relate.
In my thesis paper, I use my memories, experiences, and design in my work to add
exposure to these issues. The pieces created in ceramics fall between art and design. I challenge
the rules of design by adding self-expression to it, designing expressive objects, offering
alternative, feminist views on the phenomenon of objectification of women, and providing
playful and humorous visions to open the discussion about the portrayal and role of the female
body in art and design.
Keywords: non-traditional furniture, objectification of sexuality

1
Chapter 1: Introduction
Growing up, the imagery of the female body appeared everywhere in my
experience. Some images from famous art museums, some from advertisements on TV, and
some from billboard posters. I remember I had this thought in my head when I was young: I need
to be as pretty as the women in the endless images I see. It is safe to say that the imagery of the
female body has been exploited profoundly. In this introduction, I first briefly sketch this history
as well as feminist theories examining and critiquing the objectification of women in Western
culture. I then dig deeper into the phenomenon of objectification and explore why it is taking
away ownership of the body for women.
Figure 1. “The Perfect Body” Victoria’s Secret Perfect Body campaign, 2014

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Figure 2. Lips sofas in arts patron Edward James’s West Sussex dining room. 1935 Elizabeth Whiting&
Associates/ Alamy Stock Photo
British feminist art historian Lynda Nead mentions that the female nude is both at
the center and at the margins of high culture in her work. Representations of women have been
central to Western high culture. In addition, women’s bodies became the sign of the hidden
properties of patriarchal sculpture: possession, power, and subordination.1 She also states that
historically, women have played a secondary or supplementary role in Western philosophy and
religion. For this reason, femininity is often used to compare and emphasize a man’s masculinity
in painting.2
Many more feminist theories regarding this subject matter exist. British cultural
critic John Berger argues in 1972 in his book Ways of Seeing: “Men act and women appear. Men
look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most
1 Lynda Nead . “The Female Nude: Pornography, Art, and Sexuality.” Signs 15, no. 2 (1990): 323–35.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174488.
2 Lynda Nead, . The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and Sexuality. London, Routledge, 1992.p,.17

3
relations between men and women but also the relation of women to themselves. The surveyor of
woman in herself is male: the surveyed is female. Thus, she turns herself into an object of vision:
a sight.”3 Berger points out that, in European Renaissance art, women were depicted as “aware of
being seen by a spectator.”4 Berger’s theory exposes the idea that women have had no other
option in Western culture other than putting themselves in the spot of being looked at.
British feminist filmmaker and theorist Laura Mulvey introduces the terms “male
gaze” and “visual pleasure” in her 1975 article “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.” She
argues that Hollywood film is perpetuating the difference between women and men. The female
body is frequently represented through conventionally attractive—white, female, thin— figures.
Such idealization and objectification lead to the creation of erotic images and characters, which
are driven by the visual pleasure of heterosexual male producers and viewers.5
Mulvey argues that, in patriarchy, pleasure is split into two poles: active (male) and
passive (female). She outlines that the dynamic between women and men has been established in
films since the beginning. The plot is driven by male characters, whereas female characters are
nothing more than objects. She then suggests that this phenomenon reinforces the existing sexual
imbalance in society.6
To talk about objectification and the idea of separated spectators, we need to look
into gender performance. American feminist philosopher Judith Butler was building on
3 John Berger, Ways of Seeing (London: Penguin Books, 2008),. p. 46 4 Ibid,.p. 49
5 Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrtive Cinema” (1975), reprinted in Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema
(London: Palgrave Macmillan UK,1989), p. xiii 6 Ibid,.p. 19.

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arguments such as Mulvery’s from the 1970s. Judith Butler explains gender performativity in
her article：
Gender is in no way a stable identity of locus of agency from which
various acts proceed; rather, it is an identity tenuously constituted in time
[. . .] an identity instituted through the stylization of the body and, hence,
must be understood as the mundane way in which bodily gestures,
movements, and enactments of various kinds constitute the illusion of an
abiding gendered self. . . but to be a woman is to have become a woman,
to compel the body to conform to an historical idea of 'woman,' to induce
the body to become a cultural sign, to materialize oneself in obedience to
an historically delimited possibility, and to do this as a sustained and
repeated corporeal project.7
The active (male) narrative builds a mechanism to reinforce women staying in the
role of “women” by “performing” conventional femininity and the pressure from other people
consolidates the normative impression of a person being a man or being a woman.
These norms are internalized and the thought of always wanting to be the “ideal”
woman brings unaccountable pressure on women. From a personal perspective, I was put on a
diet by my mother when I was six. It was the beginning of an on-going struggle with selfimagery. I constantly heard the voice that “I am not slim enough,” and some of these voices were
from the people I love the most. Twenty years later, I still fight my desire for food, but this is not
even the insane part. What is so hard to accept is that my mother thought that my being “slim”
was best for me but, in reality, I did not have to go through all of that.
7
Judith Butler, “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory”
Theatre Journal, Dec., 1988, p. 519-522

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Figure 3. “Table, Chair, and Hatstand”, Allen Jones,1969
Art has always been a vehicle for exploring human experience, pushing the
boundaries of creativity, and igniting passionate debates. On the other hand, design practice is
quite different. Design is about finding solutions to existing problems. It is deeply driven by the
market, by the client, and by targeted buyers. Despite the differences between the two practices,
they share one similarity: the use and abuse of female sexual imagery.
Artists and designers typically use the element of the female body in fragments or
by abstracting or focusing on the curves associated with women’s bodies. Artists use the female
body as inspiration for design elements in their work—from Salvador Dali’s 1935 Lip Sofa to
Allen Jones’ Table, Chair, and Hat Stand of the 1960s. Such works exemplify how the female
body is exploited by male artists. From furniture design to architectural design, there is still a
prevalence of images of the female body.

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By integrating female bodies into the design work, they not only objectify the female body but
also commodify it.
Figure 4. Premier Tower in 2021. Designed by Elenberg Fraser
Premier Tower is a skyscraper designed by Elenberg Frazer, located in
Melbourne, Australia. The main architect Elenberg Frazer talks about the inspiration behind the
Premier Tower: “We trust you’ve seen the video for Beyoncé’s Ghost”.8 The video of Beyoncé’s
Ghost contains a naked women trapped inside of tube make of stretching fabric, who is
struggling to get her way out.
8 Oliver Wainwright. “Body Building: Welcome to Beyoncé Towers.” The Guardian, 7 July 2015,
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jul/07/beyonce-towers-body-building-melbourne.

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Figure 5. Screenshot of the video of Ghost by Beyoncé
Jones’ Hat Stand, Table, and Chair imply that men's perceptions define a
woman's identity, and illustrate how women are framed by men as “the other” while men are the
self and the subject. Women’s bodies are made into pieces of furniture that offer people the
option to use them or not; they no longer represent women, they become accessories. The
sculptures are modeled in clay, cast with fiberglass, with skimpy clothing and makeup painted
on, and turned into submissive positions. Chair, depicts a woman mannequin lying on her back
with her legs bent into her chest, wearing only leather high-heel boots, gloves, and panties. In
addition, Table, shows a woman mannequin wearing long gloves, and high heel boots with her
hands and knees on the floor, carrying a pane of glass on her back. In Hat Stand, the female
mannequin in lingerie stands up straight with her arms open. Jones’s portrayal of women in
suggestive stances and fetishizing clothing prompts critical and specifically feminist analysis:
exposed breasts, covered genitals, and the persistent whiteness of the female figures make the

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series outrageously sexist and implicitly racist (They are all white female bodies). Allen Jones
feeds into the male viewer’s expectation. He does everything he can to portray the “perfect”
objects for heterosexual men. He makes a man’s misogynist fantasy come true. As Laura Mulvey
states, “Allen Jones gives vital clues not only to how he sees women, but to the place they
occupy in the male unconscious in general.”9
Building on Mulvey’s critique, many feminist artists—including Cindy Sherman,
Renee Cox, and Marjorie Strider—have explored identity, gender, and female representation, but
in a critical rather than fetishizing way. They use the female body to express the oppression that
women have felt as well as expand upon objectification. They confront the “ideal” image of
women, exploring women’s fantasies and revealing women’s fears and desires. As Lynda Nead
wrote in her book: “The project of feminist art is not the projection of a perfect type that
represents the interests of all women; rather, it is the exploration of women’s diverse social,
cultural and economic identities… the female body is dense with meaning in patriarchal
culture…there is no possibility of recovering the female body as a neutral sign for feminist
meanings, but signs and values can be transformed and different identities can be set in place.”10
9 Laura Mulvey, Fears, Fantasies and the Male Unconscious or “You don’t know what is happening, do you, Mr
jones” Spare Rib,1973, Visual and Other Pleasures, 1989 10 Lynda Nead,. The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and Sexuality. London, Routledge, 1992.p,.72

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Figure 6. Marjorie Strider, Green Triptych, 1963, acrylic paint, laminated pine on Masonite panels, 196.6 x
239.9 x 20.3 cm, 77 ½ x 94 ¾ x 8 in., Courtesy of Hollis Taggart Galleries
In American pop artist Marjorie Strider’s Green Triptych, she emphasizes the
female body parts that are usually being objectified by making them three dimentional. It is very
confrontational, and yet, returning the male gaze back to the male viewers. In Renée Cox’s
Chillin’ with Liberty, Cox photoshoppes herself portrait sitting on the top of the Statue of
Liberty, which was gifted by France in 1886. “It’s called the Statue of Liberty and yet, women
didn’t have any rights at that point,” says Cox. “This is a piece about the suffragettes fighting for
women’s rights.”11
11 Sayej, Nadja. “100 Years, 100 Women: Female Artists Celebrate the Right to Vote.” The Guardian, 18 Aug.
2020, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/aug/18/artists-right-to-vote-women-19th-amendment. Accessed 3
Mar. 2024.

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Figure 7. Renée Cox, Chillin’ with Liberty, 1998, from the series Rajé Courtesy the artist
On the other hand, male artists like Salvador Dalí in Mae West Lips,1935, and
Hajime Sorayama's female body sculptures (1978-current) produce misogynistic images that are
comparable to Jones' work. Such works demonstrate the fact that the objectification of women as
rooted deeply in Western art history since at least the Renaissance. For example, Sandro
Botticelli's The Birth of Venus (1485) is an often-cited example of the idealized portrayal of
women in the fifteenth century. In the painting, Venus’ hand hides one of her breasts and the
other hand covers her genitals with her long blonde hair. Both of her arms prevent the viewer
from seeing her feminine curve. Her facial expression is imperturable, making the viewer curious
about where she is looking.

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Figure 8. The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli,1485
Another famous painting that depicts the female body but offers a new way of
seeing is Olympia (1863) by Edouard Manet. Pictured is a nude woman lying on the bed with her
breasts exposed, looking at the viewer confrontationally. Olympia, in the painting, is identified as
a prostitute by many critics; her hair, her pose, and her name point to this context.12 Manet’s
Olympia can be compared to Titian’s 1534 Venus of Urbino, in terms of the pose. Manet’s
painting caused astonishment when it first appeared partly because of this reference to the earlier
Titian painting. Titian’s seductive nude is more “ladylike”; it represents “the mistress of
patrician, reclining on bed, adorned and waiting.” It connects more to a standard of “fine art” as
it is a “nude”; but Edouard Manet, creates “a naked woman”: it is too real.13
12 John F Moffitt. “PROVOCATIVE FELINITY IN MANET’S ‘OLYMPIA.’” Source: Notes in the History of Art
14, no. 1 (1994): 21–31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23205579. 13 John F Moffitt. “PROVOCATIVE FELINITY IN MANET’S ‘OLYMPIA.’” Source: Notes in the History of Art
14, no. 1 (1994): 21–31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23205579.

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Figure 9. Olympia, Edouard Manet,1863
Figure 10. Venus of Urbino, Titan, 1534
Based on the different responses to the two paintings, which share similarities in
composition, one can ask the question of what the boundary between the “high art” nude and
“pornographic” nude is. The “realness” of Olympia takes away a man’s fantasy of the perfect
woman. The female figure is confrontational and exposes male desire rather than fulfilling it.
Manet breaks the norms at the time in a subtle and yet confrontational way. I often wonder

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would the painting be less “scandalous” if Manet decided to paint the hair differently or name it
differently? It is fascinating for me how altering the simple details of nudes can make such a
difference.

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Chapter 2: Design Methodology
2.1 Case Study—-SKIMS nipple built-in push-up bra
Of all the designs in the world today, bra design is perhaps the most deeply
intertwined with women’s comfort, and yet it is used as a way to imply social expectations for
women.14 A person’s attire, particularly when it is gender specific (like a bra), can be analyzed as
a representative of gendered expression and a visual clue to identities. In Betty Friedan’s 1963
book The Feminine Mystique, she mentioned that manufacturers put out brassieres with false
bosoms of foam rubber for little girls as young as ten.15 Feminists used bras to raise questions
about women’s liberation, viewing the bra as a key symbol representing the problems in
patriarchal society.
The nipple—specifically that of the woman—is one of the most important physical
features of the human body. The female nipple has been a center of controversy in debates about
women's liberation and is frequently censored. Although many feminist activists argue that
nipples and mammary glands are not sexual organs, the nipple historically is a universal taboo, in
design, art, advertisement, and beyond. Women try wearing clothes without bras to fight back
against how society prescribes how they should encase their bodies “properly.” In 2023 the
influencer and reality TV star, Kim Kardashian, ignited this discussion even more by launching a
push-up bra featuring visible fake nipples—yes, a push-up bra that has fake nipples built in.
Society has traditionally considered the visual nature of nipples to be inappropriate,
embarrassing, and perhaps even shameful. Kardashian’s attempt seems to turn this narrative
14Heather Vaughan Lee, ed. Artifacts from American Fashion. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2019.
Accessed January 30, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central.
15 Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique (1963) (New York; London, Norton, 1997), p,.16

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around, empowering women to embrace and highlight this aspect of their bodies, parallels a
component of postfeminist theory and leads to questions such as: Are we really in “post”
feminism? If not, what is the current goal of feminism? Does her brand as an influencer
contribute to feminism?
Kardashian launched her brand, SKIMS, in September 2019. The first collection
included bodysuits, bras, and shapewear. The brand’s major selling point was the inclusion of a
variety of sizes and colors, from XXS to 5XL, with various skin tones. The brand grew faster
than expected, expanding its products to swimsuits, loungewear, and a men's line. Recently, it
partnered with the NBA WNBA and the United States Olympic team. SKIMS was originally
called Kimono, and Kim Kardashian stated she had planned for 15 years to name it Kimono to
illustrate her perspective of shapewear and solutions that “actually work for women.”16
Nonetheless, the name Kimono became quickly controversial because, while the name was
appropriated from Japanese fashion, it did not emulate traditional Japanese clothing, and Kim
immediately changed the name to SKIMS. Through her cultural and social influence, Kardashian
claimed to be seeking to redesign the appearance of the female body and what was acceptable to
society, creating a bra design that empowers women to embrace their bodies. Nonetheless, the
product also reinforces the male gaze in society. With this bra design, Kardashian
commercializes the female body, profiting off the male gaze, and also presenting a restrictive
vision of what she believes the idealized feminine form should look like.
The first SKIMS campaign was developed by Italian American artist Vanessa
Beecroft, who played an important role in shaping Kim Kardashian’s now ex-husband Kanye
16 Mike DeStefano Takanashi Lei, “How Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Went from a Passion Project to a $4 Billion
Company,” Complex, October 30, 2023, https://www.complex.com/style/a/mike-destefano/kim-kardashian-skimstimeline.

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West’s fashion business. In an interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin, a New York Times columnist,
Kardashian mentioned that Kanye was SKIMS's "ghost creative director" who planned out the
brand's photographers' hiring, logo, and models.
17 The first release was a 36-piece collection
with mesh bikini bottoms, thongs, sculpting slips, push-up bras, and more. According to TMZ,
SKIMS’ first collection in 2019 made 2 million dollars.18 Fast forward to July 2023, SKIMS
announced that the company's value is over $4 billion.19

Figure 11. SKIMS nipple built-in push-up bra
To understand the brand SKIMS and its newly launched nipple built-in bra
further, there must be a brief evaluation of the cultural visibility of Kim Kardashian and her
family. In early 2007, a leaked sex tape of Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend at the time, R&B
singer Ray J, put her in the public eye. She sued the distributor of the video, and garnered
attention from the publicity that made their family show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians,
successful, entering the public mainstream culture. The show premiered on the E! Channel in
2007, and follows their daily lives— an example of “reality TV”; it included footage
documenting Bruce Jenner's early transition to Caitlyn Jenner in 2017. Over the years, the show
17 Mike DeStefano, Takanashi Lei, “How Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Went from a Passion Project to a $4 Billion
Company,”
18 TMZ, “Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Launch Made $2 Million within Minutes,” TMZ, September 11, 2019,
https://www.tmz.com/2019/09/11/kim-kardashian-skims-launch-shapewear-millions/. 19 Michael de la Merced, “Kim Kardashian’s Skims Is Now Worth $4 Billion,” New York Times, July 19, 2023,
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/business/dealbook/skims-kim-kardashian-fundraise.html.

17
helped the family members gain more and more exposure and social status. The universe of the
reality TV version of the Kardashian family is programmed by dozens of production crews and
the Kardashian-Jenner sisters' manager, their mother, Kris Jenner. The number of followers on
social media proves that they resonate with many people, who connect to their reality TV
characters "as the show magnifies Kim K's over-the-top, almost parodic signifiers of
femininity.”20
Arguably, the Kardashian-Jenner family reinforces stereotypes of femininity, as
the daughters consistently perform as women in the female body that aligns with the
stereotypical black aesthetic. The stylization of the body is part of the enactment of gender
through the bodily movements, gestures, and styles that highlight the illusion of a gendered
self.21 This aspect is noted in one of Kim Kardashian's controversies about The Paper Magazine
cover in 2014, where she wears a black leather dress and balances a champagne glass, recreating
a photograph from 1976 by French photographer Jean-Paul Goude of Carolina Beaumont, a
black nude model. Blue Telusma, who is an LA-based columnist, reviewed the photograph in the
magazine Grio, noting that the picture showed "imagery that is steeped in centuries of racism,
oppression, and misogyny."22 Within a cultural landscape appropriating all things Black, Kim
Kardashian keeps appropriating them constantly, instead of ever making an effort to stop the
centuries of exploitation of black females.
Kim Kardashian stated in an article in British Vogue that it is important to feel
confident, and most women are uncomfortable even wearing a swimsuit because of the fear of
20 Alexandra Gold, "Not Our Regularly Scheduled Programming: Integrating Feminist Theory, Popular Culture, and
Writing Pedagogy," Feminist Teacher 26, no. 2–3 (2016): 156–78. https://doi.org/10.5406/femteacher.26.2-3.0156. 21 Butler, Gender Trouble. 22 Blue Tslusa, “Kim Kardashian Doesn’t Realize She’s the Butt of an Old Racial Joke.” 2014. The Grio. November
12, 2014. https://thegrio.com/2014/11/12/kim-kardashian-butt/.

18
showing their bodies. She aimed to change that. Purchasing and wearing swimwear, she asserted,
should not make one anxious. Her line offered a system of options and solutions that cater to
every taste.23 As Kardashian asserts in the interview, feeling confident and providing a complete
system to ease the anxiety of buying and wearing are SKIMS's selling points. Furthermore, in
describing the best-selling product, the SKIMS website asserts: "This waist-cinching style
enhances your shape with extra compression at the core and waist and has perfectly-placed style
lines that flatter your bust, the ultimate solution for targeting your waist and accentuating your
butt. This open-bust bodysuit hits at the mid-thigh and perfectly lifts your butt."24 In this case,
cinching the waist and accentuating the “butt” sounds like another selling point of the brand as it
clearly mimics the stereotypical Black aesthetic, considered highly desirable in American culture
in the 2020s.25
Now, let us dive into the product itself. The nipple built-in push-up bra, a $62 bra
that lifts breasts with perfectly placed and shaped fake nipples, also highlights the features of the
female body. As with other best-selling SKIMS products, all sizes and colors sold out within a
week.
23Condé Nast, “‘You Asked, We Listened’: Kim Kardashian on Her New Skims Swim Line.” British Vogue. March
17, 2022. https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/skims-swim-kim-kardashian. 24“SKIMS.” n.d. Skims.com. https://skims.com/products/seamless-sculpt-thong-bodysuit-onyx. 25 Elena Romero, “The Butt Remix: Beauty, Pop culture, Hiphop, and the commodification of the black body”
(Michigan State University Press) 2017

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Figure 12. A screenshot from the SKIMS website 11/12/2023
2.1 Bra and Visual Pleasure
In Karl Marx's 1867 Capital, specifically the section entitled “The Fetishism of
Commodities and the Secret Thereof," he mentioned the distinction between use value and
exchange value. Use value depends on an object’s or image’s usefulness, while exchange value
depends on whether it can be exchanged for another form or demand in the market.26 If we apply
this model to the fake nipple built-in bra, the basic use value of a bra is to support and protect
breasts. However, the nipple built-in push-up bra provides perfect nipples that additionally seek
to fulfill men's desire for perfect boobs, which leads to the exchange value of providing visual
pleasure through idealized images of women. Looking back at the history of the modern bra (the
type of bra as we know it today) since 1911, including the prototype of the Hollywood "bullet"
bra, it is suggested that while the bra was slowly transforming into a garment that provided more
comfort to women, bra design was also long driven by the patriarchal heterosexist consumerism
26 Karl Marx, “The fetishism of commodities and the secret thereof." Capital: A Critique of Political Economy 1
(1867): 71-83.

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market. The use value of the bra connects the shape of boobs to a sort of pleasure that is enjoyed
by the male gaze, where the better your boob looks, the more visual pleasure you offer. As such,
when the look of boobs becomes a means of commodifying the female body, a bra is thus only
valuable if it provides visual pleasure. But visual pleasure to whom? Who enjoys it the most?
Rosalind Gill notes the features of postfeminist discourse are “the notion that
femininity is a bodily property; the shift from objectification to subjectification," focusing on
individualism, empowerment, and choice, dominated by the paradigm of makeovers.27
Consistent with this argument, some, like Alice Leppert, have argued that the show Keeping Up
with the Kardashian is molding the sisters into dynamic ideals of feminism for a postfeminist
consumer audience, claiming that the show is postfeminist because it mirrors the postfeminist
life cycle.28 When I first saw the SKIMS nipple built-in bra campaign, I thought this, too. Maybe
it is just postfeminist in its encouragement of “choices” and women's empowerment. However,
having the perfect look of the fake nipples and having “push-up” breasts suggests that only a
woman who has the best-looking breasts can fit into the imagery that media culture created. It
also creates an illusion that women own the subjectification of their bodies and can thus control
the visual pleasure they offer to an audience, while at the same time marketing an ideal of female
embodiment once again.
Whether truly “post” feminist or not, it is important to consider the problem of
visual pleasure. In a follow up to her 1975 article, also reprinted in the book Visual and Other
Pleasures, feminist film theorist Laura Mulvey points out that femininity is usually considered
27 Rosalind Gill, "Postfeminist media culture: Elements of a sensibility." European Journal of Cultural Studies 10,
no. 2 (2007): p,.147-166. 28 Alice Leppert, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Fame-Work and the Production of Entrepreneurial
Sisterhood.” In Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn: Feminized Popular Culture in the Early Twenty-First Century,
edited by ELANA LEVINE, 215–31. University of Illinois Press, 2015.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/j.ctt16wdkp7.15.

21
as an “opposite” (passivity); on the other hand, masculinity is conventionally considered an
active "point of view."29 This phenomenon leaves women learning to shift between "active" and
"passive." Mulvey evaluates examples of the representations of women in films in Hollywood,
pointing out that the films in this genre are designed around masculine pleasure, identifying with
the active point of view so that the woman becomes a spectator and rediscovers her sexual
identity, “the never fully repressed bedrock of feminine neurosis." 30
Mulvey also introduces the term "narrative grammar," placing the spectator,
listener, or reader with the main narrative point of view. She brings the argument that the woman
spectator can be used to adjust herself to this convention and also shift out of her sex into
another.31 According to Mulvey's view, the concept of "masculinity” in women (based on
Freud’s concept) focuses on identification driven by the narrative grammar logic and the desire
of the “ego” to fantasize itself actively. The suggestion is that, women are forced to take on a
trans-sex identification in relation to the many sexualizing images of women in Western culture,
a habit that becomes second nature. John Berger notes in parallel: “The surveyor of woman in
herself is male: the surveyed is female.”32
In addition, Mulvey discusses how Freud brought up the idea of roles of the
"libido," leading to her argument of the repression of the active aspect of feminine identity.33
When women start to see themselves through the lens of male desire, it makes the definition of a
29 Laura Mulvey, “Afterthoughts on 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' inspired by King Vidor's Duel in the
Sun” (1946).
30 Ibid., p, 31 31 Ibid., p, 32 32 John Berger, Ways of Seeing, London: Penguin Books, 2008. p.46 33 Mulvey, Visual and Other Pleasures.p,.18

22
woman's visual pleasure even more complex. Whether SKIMS' nipple built-in bra provides a
visual pleasure for a woman or not, for sure, it provides one for men.
Many scholars talk about fetishism as derived from Sigmund Freud's theories.
Freud brings up the idea that males use fetishes to protect themselves from the fear of
castration.34 Sexual behavior like sucking breasts, a universal sexual behavior among people who
have sex with women, possibly originates from our mammalian instincts. Freud also believed
desire originates from a child's desire for the mother's breast, which brings nutrition, comfort,
and safety.35 When there is a fetishism of breasts or sucking breasts, it is safe to think that
women showing their sexual body parts offers visual pleasure to men. However, does it provide
the same effect for women? In Mulvey’s argument, based on psychoanalytic theory, the
sexualized female image indicates little or nothing about the reality of women because it is
symptomatic of male anxiety and fantasy, projecting onto the image of the female.36 As such, the
woman’s image circulates to signify sexual availability to heterosexual men, detaching from
reality its reference to actual women and thus becoming the new referent of the male
unconscious.
To analyze the SKIMS nipple bra more deeply, one must look into the historical
versions of bras and the history of bra design. The bra is such a fascinating product that not only
mirrors the changes in societal norms and fashion dynamics, it also reflects the social status of
women. Unfortunately, my research into the history of bras pointed primarily to the Euro-centric
perspective.
34 Freud, Sigmund. “Fetishism.” Translated by Joan Riviere. In Sexuality and the Psychology of Love, edited by
Rieff, Philip. New York: Simon and Schuster. [1927] 1997.
35 Freud. “Fetishism.”
36 Laura Mulvey, Visual and Other Pleasures. Afterthoughts on 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' inspired by
King Vidor's Duel in the Sun (1946).1989

23

Figure 13. First bra Herminie Cadolle 1898 Runway Magazine
Around the sixteenth century, innovation of the corset appeared, which served as a
predecessor to the bra. Although distinct from modern brassieres, the corset effectively enhanced
and lifted women's breasts while still maintaining some degree of compression similar to the
bandeau-style garments prevalent in the fourteenth century.37 In 1898, The first “official” bra
was created by Herminie Cadolle. Before that point in time, the bust was harshly pressed against
the body by a corset. Cadolle separates the corset into two pieces: a top to support breasts and a
bottom to shape the waist. The top has two straps to hold up the breast. The bra was not sold
separately until 1905. 38
During the 1920s, a New York socialite Mary Phelps Jacob (also known as Caresee
Crosby) created the first modern design. It contained two silk handkerchiefs and a pink ribbon,
creating a comfy backless design that didn't poke out of dresses. Later on, she patented her
37 Ana Ono, “No.198: The History and Evolution of the Bra,” AnaOno, n.d.,
https://www.anaono.com/blogs/dressing-room/the-history-and-evolution-of-the-bra. 38 ibid,.

24
design and sold it to the Warner Brother Corset Company (changed to Warnaco. Inc.) which
acquired designer labels such as Calvin Klein at a later date. Cup Sizes were introduced in 1932,
and the name “bra” came into existence. In 1934, when manufacturers developed a new market
for young women and teens, the French-derived term brassiere was shortened to bra. 39
Around the 1940s -1950s, The Bullet Bra appeared. It provided a pointy profile to
women’s breasts.40 Then Canadian designer Louise Poirer created a pushup bra (“wonderbra”) in
1964.41 The bra was designed to lift and push breasts together, creating cleavage. In addition, the
first sports bra only entered the market in 1977.42 The journey of bra design has come a long
way. As a product that influences women’s comfort in everyday life, it has been a struggle to
finally design one that is comfortable for women.43 The dominant culture in Western societies—
patriarchal, heterosexist, and consumerist—continues to encourage women to shape themselves
to accord with male desires. That said, the development of the bra as a separate and less
constraining article of clothing than the corset marked a shift towards considering women’s
needs and interests.
39 Heather Vaughan Lee, ed. Artifacts from American Fashion. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2019.
Accessed January 30, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central.
40 Adrienne Berney, “Streamlining Breasts: The Exaltation of Form and Disguise of Function in 1930s’ Ideals.”
Journal of Design History 14, no. 4 (2001): 327–42. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3527260. 41 Jana G Pruden, “How Wonderbra and Jockstraps Became a Part of Canada’s History.” The Globe and Mail,
January 22, 2017. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-150/how-wonderbra-and-jockstrapsbecame-a-part-of-canadas-history/article33697767/. 42 Erin Blakemore, “Bras Are Older than You Think—Much Older.”National Geographic, October 04, 2023,
www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/bra-brassiere-history-strophioncorset?loggedin=true&rnd=1709789539589. Accessed 7 Mar. 2024.
43 Pruden, “How Wonderbra and Jockstraps Became a Part of Canada’s History.”

25
Figure 14. Issue of Look， image taken from a Warner’s Ad from October 16, 1956
But the bra has also been controversial for feminism. On September 7th, 1968,
members of the New York Radical Women assembled activists in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to
protest against the annual Miss America pageant. They set up a 'Freedom Trash Can,' throwing
bras, makeup, various types of restrictive clothing, and other "so-called" beauty products.44
Nevertheless, journalists focused on this aspect, describing the participants of the women's
liberation movement as women who "give up makeup." According to historian Ruth Rosen, the
protests indicated the way the media became a double-edged sword for feminists where the
pageant showed all the aspects rejected by women — being viewed as objects, spectacles,
consumers, or artificial images.45 Still, the focus of the media on the bras was that it was a 'sexy
trope' that characterized the way female sexuality is used by corporations to sell products.46 Such
44 Anne M Valk. “Women’s Movements in 1968 and beyond.” In Reframing 1968: American Politics, Protest and
Identity, edited by MARTIN HALLIWELL and NICK WITHAM, 249–71. Edinburgh University Press, 2018.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1tqxvmj.17. 45 ibid,. 46 ibid,.

26
a concept shows the societal and cultural environment that still relies on the “masculinist” point
of view. The narrative of the media is still under the patriarchal society’s structure of oppression.
SKIMS wants to make people believe the brand is about women's empowerment,
but it does quite the opposite. From a designer's perspective, it involves successful branding:
They twist the concept of the product to “self-affirming” and “empowering”, young people buy
it. However, as a woman, it needs to stop. This SKIMS nipple built-in bra is a warning to be
careful when making things that portray female body parts. The means by which any human
body is represented changes according to the context: who is it representing? Which part of the
body is portrayed or enhanced? What is the intended use? All these elements need consideration,
and ongoing research coupled with active dialog.

27
Chapter 3: Presentation of Work
3.1 Defying Expectations
The body, depending on how one looks at it, is the container that traps the soul,
or, it is the vehicle that drives one to wherever “we wanna go.” The word means more than just
the literal definition somehow. It causes people to think differently when the consequences,
context, or content changes. Women’s bodies, men’s bodies, and bodies that are tall, petite, thin,
or big. There are tons of factors that change a person’s perception of an individual’s body when
it could just be a body, a container for the soul.
I started making bodies in ceramic before I even realized it. It has been a year and
a half since I started working with ceramics, and every piece I make has been about the body. I
thought I just liked to make things that happen to be bodies. But I didn’t realize the body and its
shape were something deep in my subconscious; I just followed my hands, my body. Ceramic
encourages me to dig into the deepest part of my subconscious, and allows me to reveal more
sides about me.
I grew up in East Asia in a culture that is deeply affected by colonized knowledge.
I remember I always felt that I was not being good enough compare to the “ideal” beauty
standard from european norms. My skin was not “white” enough, my eyes werent big enough,
my legs werent as long as the Victoria Secrets’ models. I was constantly being reminded that i
need to try harder to change myself, to follow the rules, until I aligned with the standard. I don’t
want to follow the rules. I like to be the one that makes the rules. I don’t want to have the power.
I only want to challenge the power. I have been told what to do, or how I should do it,
consciously or unconsciously. I am exhausted.

28
Roman sculptures, and famous Western paintings, turning the female body into an
image or object, are still synonymous with the objectification of women. Counter to these
traditions, I want to make things that don’t make sense. I am eager to challenge the existing or
historical conventions by making a table that has fur on it, a chair that is spiky to sit on, and a
lamp that is too bright to use as a lamp. I aim to deny the user’s expectations. I want my work to
be full of contradictions. When I make a chair out of a woman’s body, it is not as functional as
the “conventional” furniture. It is not practical, at least from a design perspective. But this is my
intent. I don’t want to feed people’s expectations anymore. I want it to deny the expectations,
challenge the norms. Blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination, encouraging the
viewers to sense the contradictions. By combining with different surface, to really make the
furniture fun, but also repellent.
Material Selection and Application
Clay, as a medium, possesses unique qualities that intertwine with elements such
as time and gravity. When I work with clay, it captures moments, documenting time and
eventually becoming a record of time itself. It is both reflexive and resistant, communicating
with me as I sculpt it, responding to the force I exert upon it. I fell in love with ceramics,
because I have control, I shape it however I want to a certain extend. It is soft, it is liquid, it is
interactive, it is also intuitive. Each of my decisions plays a part in the resulting look of the work.
I follow my instincts with each move. The pieces not only express how I feel, but they also
represent many moments from the past that shaped me. My body remembers it all, my body
knows, just like clay remembers it all.

29
When sculpting a body figure from clay, I allow certain parts to succumb to
gravity. Over time, the effects of gravity become evident, causing certain aspects in a shaped
body, such as the breasts, to naturally shift and hang down, and it has a more realistic, natural
appearance. As the clay slowly loses its moisture, the drying process further contributes to the
authentic representation of the human figure: I can only carve details when it is leather-dried.
Eventually, when the clay sculpture is fired in the kiln, all the remaining water in the clay is
removed, solidifying the form and preserving the intricate details created during the sculpting
process.
Figure 15. Work in progress picture, 2024

30
3.2 Surface Treatments

Surface finish plays a critical role in determining the appearance, texture, and
functionality of a piece. The choice of surface finish can vary the design of a product, as it
directly impacts how the part looks, feels, and functions.
The different surface finishes provide different sensuality, which evokes different
feelings. For example, a metallic finish relates to cold temperatures, solid, brittle, reflective, and
a sense of firmness. But a surface that is full of fake fur gives people a feeling of warmness and
texture.
I play with the surface finish on my sculptures, because it creates more
contradictions and unexpected results.
3.3 Clay work
Feminist art is, therefore, necessarily deconstructive in that it
works to question the basis of existing aesthetic norms and values
whilst also extending the possibilities of those codes and offering
alternative and progressive representation of female identity. . .47
Lynda Nead
This whole series of work aim to challenge the existing societal norms that have
been put on women for centuries. By tweaking the functionalities and playing with the forms, I
want the viewers to be confused, flabbergasted, and maybe disturbed. Making work out of body
47 Lynda Nead, . The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and Sexuality. London, Routledge, 1992. p,.62

31
parts, something so familiar with, but integrate with unconventionally functionality and surface
to challenge the stereotypical implicitly sexist role that often associate with the representation of
women.
1. Booblamp
Figure 16. booblamp, 2023
Booblamp is my first project in the series. It is a normal torso sculpture
but I replaced the breasts with ultra-bright bulbs: when I turn it on, the two breasts emit light
extremely brightly. The brightness makes the viewer barely able to see it as they are “blinded.”
The whole work is made with B-mix Clay; the glazes used are Peneta Green and TC Shino to
create an earthy tonal furnishing. The chemical reaction of glazes in the kiln also adds some
bumpiness to the surface.

32
2. Boob skateboard
Figure 17. Boob skateboard, 2023
This is an experiment in contradiction, an exploration of using blue oxide to
achieve the look derived from traditional Chinese porcelain pottery. I drew a lot of boobs on the
surface because it is the opposite of the value of traditional Chinese porcelain pottery, which
usually is elegant, or “high art”. Besides tons of boobs, I also drew a girl who is twerking next to
a flag of America but says boob rules on top of it.
3. Boob Font

33
Figure 18. Boob font, 2023
This project is an expansion of one of the most traditional graphic design
practices—typography. It is difficult to connect typography with boobs. So I made four boobshaped elements that construct any letter in the alphabet—-horizontal line, vertical line, diagonal
line, and curve.
Figure 19. Boob font, 2023

34
Big boobs, small boobs, saggy boobs, perky boobs, single boobs, all boobs are
included. I show here the variety of the size of boobs which represent the variety of forms in the
female body.
4. Boob fountain
Figure 20. Boob fountain in progress, 2023
I am inspired by the shape of western fountains. I remember thinking that some
western fountains look like boobs upside down. Why not make a fountain that is boobs stacked
together, is what I thought to myself whenever I saw one. In addition, I want to see if the
number of boobs could possibly ruin a man’s fantasy.

35
Figure 21. RHS Wisley Exotic Garden
Fountain,https://www.haddonstone.com/en-us/prod/rhs-wisley-exotic-garden-fountain/
5. Butt chair
Figure 22. Butt chair, 2023
The butt chair is a person in an upside-down seal pose but covered in disco ball
mirror tiles. The pose is intimidating to sit on because it doesn't look stable. The disco ball
texture makes it even more uncomfortable to sit on. The viewer can see one’s reflection from

36
the surface, which also adds another layer of self-consciousness and awkwardness. And all the
mirror tiles send the “male gaze” back to the viewer.

37
Chapter 4: Conclusion
Sculpture/furniture is more than just physical objects to me; they represent
conversations. Each sculpture is a dialogue between myself and the world, between myself and
the viewer, and between the viewer and the world. Over time, the way people perceive my
sculpture/furniture may change. Their interpretations and opinions may evolve in relation to how
I portray the female body. As a designer who makes work fall between the definition of art and
design, my own perspective is also subject to change. I find myself disliking the sculptures I am
currently making as I dive into new theories and uncover different narratives. However, this
series of sculptures serves as a reflection of a part of myself and how I perceive the world. They
are a record of my expression, learning, and exploration. In the future, I will not stop exploring.
For me, this is just the beginning.
I intentionally combined art thinking into my design work. Conventionally, design
is about the “users”, and ultimately is to make the life of the “user” better. It is also about the
market and economic environment: designs need to be sold. But I am just not willing to become
a designer like that. I want my work to address social issues, and to make the invisible visible. I
want it to be my voice. As a result, the combination of expression from art and user expectation
from design emerged with each other. In my point of view, practicality and functionality are the
keys to design. But when I take the partial functionality away and leave the work with more
storytelling, it makes the design able to transmit a message, a message I have been waiting to
send.
I cannot change people’s perceptions of the female body by what I make, but I can
certainly cause them to think differently by showing the different representations of the female

38
body shapes. In addition, it is a healing journey for all the pressure and anxiety that I have felt in
the past regarding my body. I want my works to be a gift to all the ladies out there in the world;
at least can make them giggle.

39
Bibliography
Nead, Lynda, “The Female Nude: Pornography, Art, and Sexuality.” Signs 15, no. 2 (1990):
323–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174488.
Nead, Lynda., The Female Nude : Art, Obscenity and Sexuality. London, Routledge, 1992.p,.17
Berger, John, Ways of Seeing (London: Penguin Books, 2008),. p. 46
Mulvey, Laura, “Visual Pleasure and Narrtive Cinema” (1975), reprinted in Visual Pleasure and
Narrative Cinema (London: Palgrave Macmillan UK,1989), p. xiii
Butler, Judith, “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and
Feminist Theory” Theatre Journal, Dec., 1988, p. 519-522
Wainwright, Oliver, “Body Building: Welcome to Beyoncé Towers.” The Guardian, 7 July
2015, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jul/07/beyonce-towers-body-buildingmelbourne.
Laura, Mulvey, Fears, Fantasies and the Male Unconscious or“You don’t know what is
happening, do you, Mr jones” Spare Rib,1973, Visual and Other Pleasures, 1989
Nadja, Sayej, “100 Years, 100 Women: Female Artists Celebrate the Right to Vote.” The
Guardian, 18 Aug. 2020, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/aug/18/artists-rightto-vote-women-19th-amendment. Accessed 3 Mar. 2024.
Moffitt, John F. “PROVOCATIVE FELINITY IN MANET’S ‘OLYMPIA.’” Source: Notes in
the History of Art 14, no. 1 (1994): 21–31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23205579.
Vaughan Lee, Heather., ed. Artifacts from American Fashion. New York: Bloomsbury
Publishing USA, 2019. Accessed January 30, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Friedan, Betty, The Feminine Mystique (1963) (New York ; London, Norton, 1997), p,.16
Mike DeStefano Takanashi Lei, “How Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Went from a Passion Project to
a $4 Billion Company,” Complex, October 30, 2023,
https://www.complex.com/style/a/mike-destefano/kim-kardashian-skims-timeline.
TMZ, “Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Launch Made $2 Million within Minutes,” September 11,
2019, https://www.tmz.com/2019/09/11/kim-kardashian-skims-launch-shapewearmillions/.
Merced, Michael de la ,“Kim Kardashian’s Skims Is Now Worth $4 Billion,” New York Times,
July 19, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/business/dealbook/skims-kimkardashian-fundraise.html.

40
Gold, Alexandra, "Not Our Regularly Scheduled Programming: Integrating Feminist Theory,
Popular Culture, and Writing Pedagogy," Feminist Teacher 26, no. 2–3 (2016): 156–78.
https://doi.org/10.5406/femteacher.26.2-3.0156.
Tslusa, Blue, “Kim Kardashian Doesn’t Realize She’s the Butt of an Old Racial Joke.” 2014.
The Grio. November 12, 2014. https://thegrio.com/2014/11/12/kim-kardashian-butt/.
Nast, Condé, “‘You Asked, We Listened’: Kim Kardashian on Her New Skims Swim Line.”
British Vogue. March 17, 2022. https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/skims-swimkim-kardashian.
“
SKIMS.” n.d. Skims.com. https://skims.com/products/seamless-sculpt-thong-bodysuit-onyx.
Romero, Elena “The Butt Remix: Beauty, Pop culture, Hiphop, and the commodification of the
black body” (Michigan State University Press) 2017
Marx, Karl, “The fetishism of commodities and the secret thereof." Capital: A Critique of
Political Economy 1 (1867): 71-83.
Gill, Rosalind "Postfeminist media culture: Elements of a sensibility." European Journal of
Cultural Studies 10, no. 2 (2007): p,.147-166.
Leppert, Alice ,“Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Fame-Work and the Production of
Entrepreneurial Sisterhood.” In Cupcakes, Pinterest, and Ladyporn: Feminized Popular
Culture in the Early Twenty-First Century, edited by ELANA LEVINE, 215–31.
University of Illinois Press, 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/j.ctt16wdkp7.15.
Mulvey, Laura “Afterthoughts on 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' inspired by King
Vidor's Duel in the Sun” (1946).
Sigmund, Freud, “Fetishism.” Translated by Joan Riviere. In Sexuality and the Psychology of
Love, edited by Rieff, Philip. New York: Simon and Schuster. [1927] 1997.
Ono, Ana, “No.198: The History and Evolution of the Bra,” AnaOno, n.d.,
https://www.anaono.com/blogs/dressing-room/the-history-and-evolution-of-the-bra.
Vaughan Lee, Heather, ed. Artifacts from American Fashion. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing
USA, 2019. Accessed January 30, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Berney, Adrienne, “Streamlining Breasts: The Exaltation of Form and Disguise of Function in
1930s’ Ideals.” Journal of Design History 14, no. 4 (2001): 327–42.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3527260.
Pruden, Jana G. “How Wonderbra and Jockstraps Became a Part of Canada’s History.” The
Globe and Mail, January 22, 2017.

41
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-150/how-wonderbra-andjockstraps-became-a-part-of-canadas-history/article33697767/.
Blakemore, Erin “Bras Are Older than You Think—Much Older.”National Geographic, October
04, 2023, www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/bra-brassiere-history-strophioncorset?loggedin=true&rnd=1709789539589. Accessed 7 Mar. 2024.
Valk, Anne M, “Women’s Movements in 1968 and beyond.” In Reframing 1968: American
Politics, Protest and Identity, edited by MARTIN HALLIWELL and NICK WITHAM,
249–71. Edinburgh University Press, 2018.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1tqxvmj.17.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract As I navigate through various public spaces, it is impossible to ignore the prevalence of images of the female body. In art galleries, one historically sees a female body either framed, hanging on the walls, or sculpted in the center of the room. The question raised for me is: How did and why is the female body such a significant symbol in Western art history? Furthermore, what would happen to the role of the female body with additional functionality?
The abuse of images of the female body is often toxic for young people, especially women. It tends to lead women to think that the “perfect” imagery on billboards is the real signifier of women, and they will not be women if they cannot meet the “standards” that society has implied. Not to mention the patriarchal capitalist environment that we live in today. How can women truly own the imagery of women?
Design for me is a conversation with and commentary about societal issues that affect me as a woman. I want to encourage positive change and meaningful interactions with my audience. I want to spark their interest and imagination with something to think about. Like any creative expression, it is about allowing interpretation and contemplation. I want to contribute to a dialogue that fosters understanding and connection. Instead of passively receiving my work, they participate in a discourse. My design aims to unite viewpoints, emotions, and fresh discoveries, try to make pieces that stimulate reflection, and offer multiple meanings so viewers may relate.
In my thesis paper, I use my memories, experiences, and design in my work to add exposure to these issues. The pieces created in ceramics fall between art and design. I challenge the rules of design by adding self-expression to it, designing expressive objects, offering alternative, feminist views on the phenomenon of objectification of women, and providing playful and humorous visions to open the discussion about the portrayal and role of the female body in art and design.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Zhu, Jiayi Ludi (author)

Core Title My body knows it all

School Roski School of Art and Design

Degree Master of Fine Arts

Degree Program Design

Degree Conferral Date 2024-05

Publication Date 03/27/2024

Defense Date 03/26/2024

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag functional sculpture,non-traditional furniture,OAI-PMH Harvest,objectification of sexuality

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor O' Connell, Brian (committee chair), Greiman, April (committee member), Jones, Amelia (committee member), Mueller, Thomas (committee member)

Creator Email jzhu3294@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113859109

Unique identifier UC113859109

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Legacy Identifier etd-ZhuJiayiLu-12723

Document Type Thesis

Format theses (aat)

Rights Zhu, Jiayi Ludi

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Type texts

Source 20240328-usctheses-batch-1132 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu