Cheyenne Rudolph (MFA ‘14 Ceramics) work, Personal Pea Eater, is currently featured at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California as part of a show titled Recorded Matter: Ceramics in Motion. Rudolph’s project was developed as part of her thesis research while in the MFA Ceramics program at UF.
Personal Pea Eaterchallenges the outdated expectation that women must uphold domestic behavior.
“Borrowing the format of infomercials and etiquette videos, the demonstrated work subverts the viewer's expectation and becomes sexually suggestive when in use, thereby challenging assumptions about gender roles and female behavior,” Rudolph said.
Her ceramic work undermines the accepted modes of feminine behavior by, “centering on issues women regularly face regarding societal expectations, personal identity, and self-sacrifice,” Rudolph asserted. In her work, she aims to satirically demonstrate the hurdles she and women as a whole must overcome. She implores the viewers to evaluate their own actions toward the cycle of gender bias.
Rudolph’s MFA in Ceramics prepared her for her project at the American Museum of Ceramic Art because while in graduate school at UF, she began incorporating new research into her practice and bringing in new media. She also took classes in Women’s Studies and joined an improv group, which inspired her ceramic work. Her time at UF helped her develop a wider perspective as an artist, including incorporating video, mixed media and interactive performances into her work.
Rudolph is now making and showing work that is more authentic to her interests and perspective. She said she accessed new and different audiences because of the direction her work took while at UF.
Personal Pea Eater will be on display until February 26, 2017. Check out the video of Rudolph's work here.
Keep up with Cheyenne’s work at www.rudolphclaystudios.com.
