Review: War - Lena Semenkova Feature

January 24, 2008

War, most women seem to shy away from the topic. It’s usually a male preserve, though here and there you find a women beginning to encroach upon this one time exclusive domain of men, and that is still a subject debated, though I for one believe women should have the right and the experience of war, so they know what it really is about and not some distant event, speaking purely from a combat perspective. War is an abomination, and most particularly in this time when it is no longer a noble activity fought for anything more than power and control of resources

Lena’s image War is odd. It’s odd because, on one level of consideration, among all the other images it’s seems to be a strange topic for her to be engaging. But it is odd on other levels too.

A red-head, her long hair flowing over her armored shoulders blends into a smear of color that creates a long tail that appears to form the lower half of her body. The form and style is like an elongated capital letter ‘S’. Where her waist would be there is none, just the hair like some mermaid’s tail, swirling off into the background like some parody of a glossy hair commercial for shampoo or hair dye.

I wouldn’t recommend this brand. If you read the label it would seem that the constituent ingredients consist of blood and skulls.

This female warrior’s two arms are prominent in the picture. As she faces us her left arm is upraised to her face making a fist. On first impression it resembles the stereotypical defiant gesture that proclaims “I’m tough! Bring it on! I’ll pulverize ya!”

Her arm is tightly bound in a black leather bracer replete with shiny buckles and the impression is more fetish than function.

An ornate metal cross is chained across the back of her hand, but it is not large enough to afford protection. It seems more of an accessory.

Her right arm is held out horizontal to her right hip and extends towards us into the foreground. It forms a perch for a large dark-plumed eagle, whose gaze is directed to his left, out of the tall, narrow frame of the picture. The symbol of a nation? Depending from its hooked beak upon a silvered chain is a tiny skull. I guess it’s a free accessory that comes with the hair dye. There are rings on its talons. An eagle, a war bird instead of a poodle; very clever, Lena.

“…a war bird instead of a poodle, very clever”

It is her head that is most odd. She wears “a helm” that is so strangely designed that it sets the entire tone of the image offsetting the darker elements with something outrageous and ludicrous. It is difficult to describe this but I’ll have a shot.

Fastened by chains a headdress rather than a helm, assumes a precarious position perched upon her forehead. Two sets of paired chains, hang from spokes that extend outward from a circlet also made of thin coiled chain that circles the crown of her head. There is no protection from the implements of war here; I can see her hair through the circlet.

Extending from this circlet are ten far-too-long metal spokes, eight of them are simple. One of them has been flattened and ornately stamped and molded to form an ornamental nose guard. It’s in the six o’clock position. In the 12 o’clock position is the crowning glory. Instead of a spoke a large plume, perhaps an ostrich feather extends upward, increasing her height and making her completely noticeable.

“…lips artificially plumped”

The expression on her face and the pose is also initially looking a bit threatening. But, as you look to her eyes and her very full red lips I see something else. Her lips are full, the lower lip in particular is a pillow in the style Angelina Jolie became famous for, inspiring many young women to have their lips artificially plumped. Trailing from the corner of her mouth, almost as if placed there for effect is a drool of blood. It’s an artful detail, that sets off the impression that this fashionable young thing has just finished delicately consuming something sinfully delectable.

“this is a blood feast”

It’s the eyes that create this impression. They look sideways, out of the picture in that feminine expression that says “I hope nobody caught me eating (looking so bad).” You get the impression she would break into a nervous uncomfortable and gleeful giggle, if you were to say something; it would be as if you have caught her eating chocolate when she shouldn’t be. Only it’s not chocolate she’s been consuming, this is a blood feast.

On one level this work of digital art says to me (some) “Women flirt with death today” as if it is some fashionable accessory instead of the bloody banquet that it is. It speaks to me of a fashion industry that often trivializes the serious subjects of life and death, and that there is something obscene about this fascination. I’m not denying it can be fun too.

It seems to me that Lena’s portrayal of war, says it all. War is ludicrous. Nothing noble about it. Nothing fashionable about it. Nothing practical or useful about it.

TFA: There is another image, the last one I’d like to look at. It’s War. Among all the others it has such a rushed appearance; it is almost a smear on the canvas. A women, all dressed up in battle gear, appears out of a swirl of skulls and blood, as if straight from a bloodbath. It is a violent image. The figure looks as if she has just been feasting. It amazes me how you employ such subtleties, such tiny details to change the meaning. It’s as if you’re saying, “Women are just as guilty of the crime of war as men are.” What inspired War?

Lena: When I finished this piece deep at night, I raised my head to see the unhealthy orange light outside. The neighboring house was burning. No shit.

TFA: Wow.

Lena: I find it symbolical. The topic of war doesn’t let me go, I’m thinking about a few other pieces. This is probably the answer to your earlier question about how crisis affects art. You asked if the global crises we obviously have now affected my art and art in general. I usually don’t think about what inspires and affects me in a global perspective, but the tension in the air probably makes me think about a maiden at war rather than maiden in the garden, sewing and drinking tea with her happy family.

TFA: That’s a pretty radical viewpoint, running counter to much of how women, and female culture, portray themselves.

Lena: I read somewhere that a hurt woman is much more dangerous and crueler than a man.

TFA: This image, War, also makes a mockery of high fashion. The armor is more fashionable, than functional. It’s still important to her, how she looks; that her face is able to be seen. Even though it is partially covered.

Lena: Women are guilty because they choose to cook dinner instead of keeping men from fighting for oil. Women still have that “stepping aside when guys are playing” instinct.

TFA: Ah, yes.

Lena: I was inspired by Highlander 4 movie. Horrible movie. But they had amazing costumes of those modern motorcycle-riding-Vikings.

TFA: Yeah. I can’t help think of a woman wearing armor made out of knives and forks and kitchen utensils, now! [Laughter]

Lena: And a pan instead of helmet. Fork is dangerous weapon. Four holes with one strike. Think about it. Even Wolverine makes three with one strike. Thus, fork is cooler than Wolverine himself.

You can buy Lena Semenkova’s War now. Click here to purchase.

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Written by NDK Creative Artist · Filed Under Creative Artists, Features

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