Madelon de Wagenaar

selfportrait inspired by work from James Ensor, a Belgian expressionist who is known for his symbolism in his art.

i started with the idea to draw myself as clown, after a while i realised it was boring and too predictable. so i dove further into symbolism. on the right you can read my thoughts in this process and research

im made from flesh

i dont eat meat

bio-industry

nasty fattened pig, ‘plofvarken’

research:

- according to superstition, people who eat pig brains cannot tell lies.

- pig taboo

- in Celtic mythology the pig or wild boar occupies an important place in society. in the low countries, the Celtic and Germanic gods were worshiped with offerings of pig's heads and hams. such periodic ceremonies also served the local meat supply: they ended with a meal and the distribution of pieces of pork.

pigs roamed the settlement during the day and did not belong to anyone in particular. in Europe, until the Middle Ages, pigs continued to roam through villages and towns like pets, foraging for leftovers, waste and dung. some of these were still "community pigs," fattened by the street, whose meat was distributed to the poor after slaughter.

different kinds of madelon’s in mud fed by pigs

my face on alot of naked people

first off i wanted pigs that only would laugh at me, but why would i only use pigs when there all sorts of animals that we consume?

animals that we normally stand above

research:

domestication is a process in which animals and plants are bred or cultivated by humans to fulfill a useful function. There is no unambiguous definition of domestication. Indeed, none includes all domesticated plant and animal species.