Jaime Lamb, Pulcritud, Six soap sculptures, Sizes vary, 2023
Pulcritud is a series of six sculptures carved from soap bars that are recreations of historical venuses. The venus sculptures are paying homage to the original sculptures found throughout history which were used as symbols of love, fertility and beauty. Venuses are said to be representative figures of perfection and pulcritud (trait of being untidy or messy).
The material used to carve the sculptures, soap bars, juxtaposes the trait of messiness associated with venuses. The use of soap, specifically feminine smelling soap bars, adds to the idea that women need to be clean and are the ones expected to keep a household clean. This speaks on the idea of women within the domestic realm of life and the expectations of women within this space. Soap, as a material, also speaks to the economy as it is something everyone needs and uses as well as makes comments on the laborious society we live in, especially that expected of women.
By recreating these sculptures, that were made so long ago, in a contemporary society, I am preserving the sculptures in their beauty but also repurposing them to speak on the role and difficulties of women now.
