CYNTHIA GREIG Subverting the (un)Conventional

Title of Exhibition: Cynthia Greig: Subverting the (un)Conventional
Curator: Dick Goody
Institution: OU Art Gallery
Title of Art: Reclining Nude (revised Velazquez)
Artist: Cynthia Greig (American)
Date Created: 1993
Dimensions: ??

Cynthia Greig's solo exhibition on display at the OU Art Gallery (curated by Dick Goody), Subverting the (un)Conventional, mixes many medias, including photography, video, painting, and drawing. Though the work spans over decades worth of creation, Cynthia seems to maintain an underlying structure throughout her work and deals with identification and perception throughout all of her series.

I felt an immediate reaction when viewing Cynthia's Revised Nudes, not only by of the sheer size but also for the subject matter. When reflecting upon these pieces, many immediately notice the historical references and replications of classic masterpieces. Cynthia replicates the masterpieces well in environment and subject positioning. She also does a beautiful job at incorporating parts of the original paintings into her own work. This creates a subtle collage effect, but I am not sure whether the incorporation comes during or in post-production.


Daring to replicate such classics within your own conceptions deals with matters of appropriation. In her piece, Reclining Nude (revised Velazquez) (1993), not only are the elements appropriated (the same placement of objects, red drapes, mirror, position of nude, etc), but her choice of incorporating images from the earlier work brings up even deeper questions of ownership and originality. Who is the "owner" of the image? What is the original? Is Cynthia's work original because it does not attempt to be an exact replica of earlier pieces? Even if it was an exact replica, does this not constitute a consideration of originality? I mean, she still would have been the one to create those particular brush strokes or press the trigger to capture a photographic image.

How Greig's Revised Nudes series deals with appropriation, time and perception is of particular interest for me, not just through a historical context but a personal one as well. I have also reflected upon historical masterpieces and have dealt with matters of appropriation and perception within my own work. In 2009, I created a series of photographs in which I placed myself within a historical masterpiece. I see many similarities between Cynthia's work and mine. As Cynthia incorporated parts of the original painting within her work, I also did. The two works are also both based off of historical masterpieces involving the nude form. As I reflect upon the two works, I begin to consider appropriation even further. Is my work considered more appropriated than Cynthia's since mine was created at a later date? Can something even be "more appropriated"?

Greig's decision to replace the traditional female figure in the original masterpieces with male figures is a bold decision to address matters such as gender and identity. In her response to Dick Goody's question of "What are you telling us with your interpretations of these historical masterpieces?", she explains that this series of work addresses how visual traditions and media has a deep impact on how society established their norms and perceptions of the world. By placing a male figure where we are conditioned to expect a female, we are challenged to consider whether this is grotesque and anymore wrong/right than having the traditional female nude in it's place.


I admit that when I first viewed these works, I was taken aback by the use of the male nude figure. This is something I've noticed about myself when I encounter other such works. Revised Nudes confronted me with these reactions once again. However, as opposed to previous experiences, I took that reaction and began to question it. Why did seeing a male nude in place of the female startle me? Why did I view it as more of a perversion of art? As I read the blurbs accompanying Cynthia's work, I began to understand the answer: visual images really do have a powerful impact on society and what we consider acceptable.