CRISTIN MILLETT

An extension of my research includes “sacred anatomy,” the pre-16th century practice of dismembering cadavers, particularly nobility and saints, in order to disperse the remains/relics for widespread worship of relics. This series of sculptures draws from Catholicism as a starting point, but the pieces were triggered by our current turbulent political climate. Threats to gender and racial equality, women’s empowerment, reproductive rights, voting rights, and intersectional human rights are shredding the fabric of society. Growing disparities permeate our daily lives, fueled by divisive speech and hateful actions. Through my work, I pose questions, raise awareness, and sound the alarm.

Sitting on top of a nest of string is a hand knit pussy hat, a pomegranate rests on the crown. #MeToo – for Cecilia in Trastevere includes a pussy hat, which has become synonymous for women’s rights and the #MeToo movement. #MeToo also references St. Cecilia, who took a vow of virginity and was martyred after refusing to renounce her Christian faith. Despite numerous strikes with a sword in an attempt to behead her, she lived for three days before finally succumbing to her injuries.  When her body was exhumed about 1,300 years later, it was incorrupt. A church was erected at the site, and pomegranates adorn the balustrade surrounding the altar. In this sculpture, I used a needle to insert pubic hair into the pink silicone pomegranate, one strand at a time.