Semiotic analysis: Sapiosexual

 

Source of the image: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/sapiosexual-terri-meredith.html

This is a painting by Terri Meredith entitled Sapiosexual. She is a black woman artist majority of her works project black women.

 

The present painting is titled Sapiosexual which means ‘finding intelligence sexually arousing or attractive’. Thus, the title signifies the opposition to the law of attraction related with beauty. The background is made of straight brush-strokes in the shades of green and yellow, which signifies something new, something fresh.

 

There is a black woman projected, who is standing on four books; her back is framed for the audience, her face – her identity - is not important. Thus, the figure signifies all black women. At the same time, the figure is on the books, signifying the identity of those women on the foundation of knowledge and intelligence, and not on the standards of beauty. Her nudity signifies the universality of the figure, that is, she is primarily a woman; her woman-ness is more important than any other socio-cultural aspects.

 

Though sapiosexuality is not associated with people or color, it goes against the standard notion of sexuality. Traditionally, societies have associated love and sexuality with the concept of beauty. Here, that very idea is challenged by associating sexuality with intelligence and at the same time, it advocates a newer perspective on the issue.

 

The feminine figure is projected and not the masculine one because female sexuality is traditionally suppressed, and many-a-times denied. Hence, there are negative connotations associated with words like, ‘spinster’ and ‘nymphomaniac’.

 

Thus, the painting becomes significant at two levels: the level of race and the level of gender. It clearly states that attraction and arousal are not subjected to the standard ideas of beauty and gender.