We recently connected with Joslyn Doerge and have shared our conversation below.

Joslyn, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My current Series is Called “Meat Ms. Monroe’. It is a series of muscular anatomy wood burnings representing the last photo shoot Marilyn Monroe did before her death. Below is an excerpt from my artist statement about the series.

“I have spent a number of years examining the ways in which attractiveness and sexuality are valued by the observer. To that end, I seized upon the iconographic potency of the pop culture “pin-up girl.” In this case the subject is Marilyn Monroe’s final sitting before her untimely death. By applying my abilities as a scientific illustrator, I have found: a new way of exploring the themes of beauty, the value our society places on outer beauty and its temporary nature. Often when we look at the person, we see only their surface qualities and neglect to question what underlies their skin-deep beauty. My aim is to take that investigation one step further. By removing the flesh to reveal the meat is the means through which I hope to give the model back her humanity. Through this investigation, we are literally peeling back the façade of beauty and peering underneath. The removal of the flesh reminds us that we are all, under the surface, made of meat. Although sensual, there is a sense of power that these iconic final images seem to have. Reminding the audience that we are all the same underneath, we cease to objectify the model and delve into her psyche. In this case there seems to be a personal acceptance of her own physical form that is the source of her empowerment. It is through that empowered lens that the models’ gaze is then turned back on the viewer. Reminding us of our own fragility.”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started out as a scientific illustrator. I graduated from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. While I was there and primarily working with the Field Museum of Chicago, I was mostly working in water color. I continued to work in large water colors for a long time.
I was struggling to find frames that fit my work. Furthermore, they were very expensive. and one day a gallery owner explained that lots of places don’t like to buy watercolors on paper because of the vulnerability of the paper.
One day my sister suggested I try pyrography, which was an excellent suggestion as it solved both the fragility problem and that of the expensive framing.

Furthermore wood mimics the movement of tissue!
I use many different kinds of wood. I also use crushed mineral and acrylic medium. I chose wood because its it mimics the movement of muscle tissue. This series is about stripping down to the most natural state and what is more natural than wood?
I chose the crushed mineral which I apply in layers with the acrylic medium.
I do this to get different effects as the light hits the piece throughout the day. In this sense the piece is ever changing as we are ever changing. I hope to use the changing of the piece as a subtle reflection of the passage of time.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I think that we put a lot of importance on appearance. It seems as though we as a society feel that someone has lost their value once their youth is gone. One of the ways we see this idolization is through the classic pin-up. The pin-up seems to be frozen in time and therefore seemingly impervious to time’s inevitability.

I chose iridescent materials to get the different effects as the light hits the piece throughout the day. In this sense the piece is ever changing as we are ever changing. I hope to use the changing of the piece as a subtle reflection of the passage of time which is coming for us all.

As a scientific illustrator, I was also interested in the juxtaposition of the pin-up and meat underneath. It’s as though we a treating the pin-up like a piece of meat and failing to see the beauty of the person’s inner beauty.

To quote an excerpt from my artist statement..
“Beauty can also be the reason many fail to reach the subjects psyche.
The removal of flesh reminds us we are all just made of meat. By reminding us we are all the same underneath, we cease to objectify the model and delve back into her psyche. In this sense, removing the flesh to reveal the meat, is the means through which I hope to give the model back her humanity.”

I believe it is an important message to share, especially as social media advances and we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, to remember that these are merely moments. Real beauty comes from within and cannot be so easily diminished through the passage of time.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The few precious moments of actually being in the present. I believe it’s called ‘MUSHIN’ to the Buddhists. ‘MU’ roughly translates to nothingness or emptiness and ‘SHIN’ is heart, mind, soul, breath, intuition, spirit.

For me it’s when you loose yourself in your work and for that moment you are present. For me it’s very restorative and I seem to only be able to reach that state of mind when making art.

Contact Info:

• Website: jozd.org
• Instagram: @jozdfineart and @jozd26
• Facebook: joslyndoerge

Image Credits
All photos taken by joslyn doerge (Joz D), the artist.