Maternity, according to the philosopher Julia Kristeava, disrupts and challenges the distinction between culture and nature and dissolves the barriers between the pregnant subject and the foetal other. But when the foetus becomes the subject, does the carrier principally become a place; an incubator; apparatus for reproduction?

 

Through the creation of HOLLOWGORAZ, a planet lost in the endless void of the multiverse, Olivia Moody explores this very intimate relationship between the self and the female body within the context of sex, sexuality and reproductive function. As an artist and art-historian, harrowing personal and collective histories are both intrinsically drawn-upon to shape her work. From the ancient and mythological concept of mother earth to the medical diagnosis of female hysteria, the artist calls upon women’s history to express the distress and entrapment that endures poignantly during the current backdrop of reduced reproductive rights and education in areas around the globe.

 

As a multidisciplinary artist, Olivia utilises oil paint, animation and sound to create an immersive experience; allowing the viewer to step inside the mystical yet equally unsettling world that is HOLLOWGORAZ. Gaze upon the painting to encounter the afflicted inhabitants of the beautiful but treacherous landscape. Hear the growls and groans spawning from the desperate fight for survival. Whatever the medium, the artist’s core aim is to represent the internal world of the female body through a fantastical lens that considers the horrific and wondrous complexities of the subject.

 

If a woman is a conscious individual, as well as a site where life is created and parasitically nurtured, where is the distinction of the self and the other? How do these interact both physically and mentally? The artist attempts to find her own personal answer and understanding through the creation of this series of work.