Jessica Paton

Wilderwoman, 2017

Wilderwoman is a video work exploring the history and portrayal of women in the landscape. The work specifically examines the absence of the female subject as an adventurous archetype within both visual and literary histories of the ‘wild’ landscape. Wilderwoman offers a counter image challenging traditional representations of ‘adventurous’ male subjects.

The work features the artist’s own figure within the landscape, walking from left to right of the frame, forging her own path within the space. This action re-contextualises these perceptions of ‘wilderness’ as a male space, by treating the landscape as a stage for a woman.