Visual Analysis Of Ellen Garven's St Sebastian

At first glance, Ellen Garvens’ St Sebastian appears to be a tangle of metal, but a second look reveals the artist’s powerful political statement. The piece consists of a hanging construction of copper tubing, a black and white photograph and a sheet of aluminium. Garven uses the photograph to symbolize the oppression of nontraditional sexual orientations and the metal to symbolize the expectations of a heteronormative society.
The photograph depicts the left side of a young man’s torso, from the middle of his ribcage to the middle of his thigh. He stands straight, with an arched back. His arms crossed behind his back and hands placed on top of another, resting lightly on his lower back. His palms face outward and his fingers are limp. He is naked from the waist up and wears tight, white pants. The man’s slender frame exposes his ribs and his body and clothing appear to be smeared with blood. The tangled copper tubing, on which the picture hangs, imitates the arched posture of the man’s body. Thin copper tubes slant downward from right to left, falling in line with the man’s exposed ribs. Underneath, bulky, copper pipes resemble the man’s fleshier lower back and haunch. Above the thin copper tubes, a sheet of weathered aluminium hangs on the wall, drilled into place with industrial screws. The entire piece is …show more content…
Although it is bent to imitate the curves of the human body, the metal appears cold and rigid in comparison to his body. The tubing suggests that his body is a man-made product of industry and that the man is a construct of society. The photograph provides the external view of the man and the piping represents the inside. While he may appear to be human in the photograph, it is clear that his internal characteristics lack humanity. This piece conveys the idea that society expects its citizens to comply to traditional social norms and oppresses those with varying