Felicity Shillingford

Felicity Shillingford works as a freelance artist, fulfilling a number of roles in the planning and delivery of visual arts and cross art form performances, events and exhibitions.

Female Torso is a piece intended to be fetishistic, a talisman, an hour-glass form to be idolised and desired. Contained with the object are images symbolic of thoughts and feelings of womanhood.  The wheatsheaf represents fertility and reflects my childbearing age in its harvest. The section of voluptuous red bodice with white-gloved hand motif traces the contours of the upper torso.  To continue with the bodice theme, a piece of Liberty fabric is collaged on to the central panel. This depicts femininity and represents being free to do as one pleases within the confines of being female. This idea is expanded in the centre of the right hand panel where the waist is corsetted with vertical strips of card. Is this holding back wilful or enforced?