Event Spotlight: “Spring Into Action" auction supporting reproductive rights via The Untitled Space

#byLizPublika

A latex covered face and body in a 1950s-inspired wig and house dress is certainly ironic. The simultaneous presentation of domination and submission makes it hard to tell if the repressed and the uninhibited are competing for attention or simply complementing each other. Either way, when you see Miss Meatface, otherwise known as Kat Toronto, it’s hard to look away.

Her work is a striking meditation on the Madonna Whore Complex; a visual representation of the duality society attributes to women. And luckily, it’s currently part of the “Spring Into Action,” benefit auction created for supporting reproductive rights and presented by the Untitled Space. Musing on power, play, and personhood, Miss Meatface is confrontational, to say the least.

And that’s a good thing, considering that society is currently grappling with two very different movements; one that aims to restore certain social boundaries that have historically endured, until recently, and another that aims to liberate all people from the confines of tradition via science, personal freedom, and creativity. The arts have always been closely related to protest.

Is the auction a form of protest? I think so. Perhaps a more quiet and unthreatening one, but protest nonetheless. Miss Meatface was diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer in 2010 that eventually led to a full hysterectomy in 2013. When society places so much emphasis on tying reproductive organs to a person’s overall identity, it’s easy to shun the outliers.

This makes Miss Meatface the perfect artistic and spiritual catalyst to delve into a complex set of questions about where she now fits into society as a woman. “The multidisciplinary artist works in performance-based photography, using her often unsettling and surreal images to explore cultural ideals of feminine beauty and the objectification of women in a feminist society.”

The artist and gallery have pledged 10% of proceeds from each artwork sold to be donated to Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Featuring over 50 photographs, including a number of unique Polaroids, the auction kicked off with an online preview on April 17th, 2023, and with live bidding on April 20th at 12pm EST. The auction will conclude on April 30th at 5pm EST.

Contact The Untited Space to make an appointment if you would like to see artwork in person, or if you have any questions.

Note* All of the event information and images are provided by our partners.