Fetish (object/object/object)

Merritt Johnson, artist

Cultural affiliations: Kanienkehaka (Mohawk), Blackfoot

born 1977

Fetish (object/object/object), 2018

Where object was made: North and Central America

Material/technique: bison teeth; weaving; fur; palm fiber

Credit line: Courtesy of the artist and Accola Griefen Fine Art

Accession number: EL2020.026

Not on display

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These sculptures incorporate Indigenous materials and weaving techniques to make statements about both the power and powerlessness of women’s bodies. In Door between worlds, Johnson muses on the strength that comes with bringing new life into the world by framing a female pelvis as a literal passageway between one realm and another. Here, the female body is beautiful, resilient, and potent.
Fetish (object/object/object) presents a contrasting view. Here, a torso featuring breasts, fur, and teeth evokes some of the most fetishized areas of the female body; the absence of other body parts communicates the ways women are often reduced to objects. Johnson’s use of the word “object” three times in the title is significant, referring to its different definitions: a perceivable material form; something toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed; and disagreement, opposition, or distaste—the latter reflecting the diverse and outspoken opinions people have about women’s bodies.