Proposal

Proposal

Gi-ant-ess

noun

An imaginary or mythical female being of human form but superhuman size, strength, etc

Any very large woman 

Me

Whilst studying at Nottingham Trent I intend to create a body of work exploring the idea of the ‘Giantess’. 

Giantess is an image that has continued to appear in many works of art and literature for hundreds of years in a multitude of forms. As a term ‘Giantess’  begun with fantasy creatures in Norse Mythology. These creatures were powerful, beautiful and respected beings which often protected and saved those around them. Similar figures were seen in the celtic folklore of Scotland and were often depicted as loving and gentle creatures. The image appears again in later european literature where she becomes an erotic symbol in the poetry of Baudelaire and an image of disgust and repulsion in Jonathon Swift's 'Guliver's Travels’. She is seen again in Lewis Carol’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, where the character grows to giant proportions when eating biscuits and cake, possibly the first time Giantess is linked with the more modern ideas of consumption of food. In today’s depictions she often takes the form of the strong, sexual and empowered woman. This is seen in films such as ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’, in which the main character becomes liberated by her new proportions and encourages other women to feel the same. In comic book art we see her again become a dominating and beautiful character such as ‘Wonder Woman’. In film  the Giantess can also become objectified as a an overtly sexual being and this is taken even further in adult literature. Thousands of websites are dedicated to sexual stories and images of giant woman with categories such as ‘The Butt Giantess’, when the Giantess uses her bottom to destroy cities and buildings. Stories also appear of the Giantess using her power against other women in tales such as ‘Girl Shrinks Girl’, possibly highlighting ideas of jealousy in female relationships. 

However, none of these depictions and stories look into what in reality it feels like to be a giant woman. There are many women in the world who have genetic disorders which cause their bodies to grow to giant proportions. Some feel empowered by size such as model and actress Cassidy Heights who it is said to ‘stand at  6’3 and is well worth the climb’, yet others feel monstrous, ugly and deformed.  It does not only take a genetic disorder to create a Giantess, many women feel giant and grotesque through their body weight alone. Size is an extremely important part of everyday life for today’s average woman, with the exaggerated images of women’s bodies displayed in the media and the current obsession with smaller body proportions. In disorders such as Anorexia we see a malnourished and tiny body, but in her mind she sees the revolting Giantess.

Through a range of mixed media works I am interested in pulling all the different strands and interpretations of the Giantess together to explore how women really feel about size today. Merging  my interests in mythical imagery and modern society, I plan to develop my knowledge of narrative and character to create work that explores the many complex theories surrounding female body size and explore my own personal problems with height and weight.