BG
Depicted here as an abstraction of this hormone as imagined by the artist. Constructed using air dry modeling compound, texture medium and bronze patina. The pieces are now in the private collection of Dorothea Fleiss an award winning, world renowned artist, lecturer, collector, and Founder and Director of East and West Artists Organization e.V. -Loretta Corbisiero
Schmusen Series
(To Cuddle), 2011 - 2014
Schmusen is based on the hormone oxytocin which is produced naturally in the brain’s hypothalamus, and stimulates various sexual responses. Also known as the ‘cuddle’ hormone, oxytocin is responsible for inducing labor and forming a maternal bond with a newborn, including a sense of trust and the feeling of contentment associated with a loving relationship.
Developing the concept of the ‘cuddle’ hormone- oxytocin, (Schmusen (2012 - 2014) was developed into an interactive inflatable installation based on the body’s experience through the effect of this specific hormone. The translation and interpretation of the emotive qualities are visually represented through inflatable forms with which the viewer can interact. The Schmusen “bodies” resemble the fetus or a human figure and its actions are dictated by whether or not too much or too little of the specific hormone is present. The symbolic oxytocin receptors are depicted as “tails” interacting with one another by folding over each other, cuddling, and filling in the empty space. Combining a soft and furry floor with her large and small receptors provides an artificial stimulus which invokes, in the mind’s eye of each participant, the desire to interact with Schmusen, which is the exact effect this inflatable and interactive installation intended to accomplish!
​​
​
​
Interactive Inflatable Installation
Horomanomalies
(Horomone Anomalies) 2011 - Present
Horomanamolies
This body of work seeks to visually translate the function and or underproduction of hormones specifically associated with physical traits that distinguish women and men and play a vital role in our development as individuals as well as within our relationships.
​
Each work in the series Hormonamolies carries a title in the language derived from a specific travel experience as it relates to each piece.
​​
ErkekliÄŸin Mavi Cini
​
(Blue Genie of Virility) Form I, 2014
​​
Rub the lamp, make your wish, and the genie will rise to make your dreams come true.
ErkekliÄŸin Mavi Cini (Blue Genie of Virility) Form I is an abstraction of the male hormone testosterone and the male reproductive tissues, as imagined by the artist. The interaction or the “rubbing” of this inflatable is symbolic of the physical stimulation that would activate an increased production of testosterone within the male body.
ErkekliÄŸin Mavi Cini mimics male physical characteristics such as the testis and the advanced development of muscle. Here the Genie is likened to an apparition and the result of the process in which this hormone is produced.
​​
Per Abbracciare e
​
Tenere
​
(To Hug and to Hold) Form I, 2015
​​
Per Abbracciare e Tenere explores the idea of community and the science and physiological effects of the embrace and physical contact through the acts of hugging and embracing.
​
Drawing inspiration from her Italian heritage, the form of the iconic Giglio, and recent experiences in Borgo a Mozzano, Italy the artist here explores the idea of community and art as an experience.
​
The abstracted forms used take on a multitude of recognizable forms such as gametes, the early development of a fetus or simplified anthropomorphic entities that seem to embrace.The lighting and olfactory elements create a multisensory experience that is meant to encourage viewer interaction.
​​