Introduction

Unraveling Women Objectification (2025) is an immersive exhibit with its integration of crochet and augmented reality (AR) representative of the various ways in which our cis-heterormative society objectifies women, such as the stigmatization of women's bodies, the idealization of their bodies, and the normalization of harassment and sexual violence. Furthermore, it desexualizes and normalizes women’s bodies. Members of the audience will be able to interact with four 10 by 10 inch tapestries through the use of a tablet with augmented reality technology that will overlay new images that will represent the perseverance and strength of women in a cis-heteronormative society. This exhibition will continue to spread its message in the boob keychains that are given away to the audience. 

Literature Review

This capstone’s central research question of Objectification Theory, the corollary being that sexual objectification negatively affects the mental, physical, and psychological health of women (Chmielewski, 534). In the scholarly articles “What drives female objectification?" An investigation of appearance-based interpersonal perceptions and the objectification of women,” and “Not an object: On the Sexualization and Exploitation of Women and Girls | UNICEF USA,” they investigated and found why women are objectified and the different manners in which women are objectified. These articles cover a multitude of explanations for the ‘why,’ such as how society teaches to view women through stereotypes and dehumanizes them by questioning women’s mental abilities and morals (Kellie). They also discuss how women are objectified through society's tendency to teach women to treat their bodies as objects and make them feel uncomfortable in them. Further, how society normalizes men to harassment and sexual violence against women, especially how the media displays power dynamics that degrade, harm, and trivialize gender-based violence (UNICEF USA). 

This capstone was developed to combat such media and the artistic influences that inspired the pieces seen were Liz Collins, D.Y. Begay, and the Fourth Wave of feminism. D.Y. Begay, a textile artist, is a Navajo textile artist and she describes her process as painting with yarn. In her tapestries and other textile works, she reflects on the heritage of her family, her Diné identity, and the natural beauty of the Navajo Nation reservation where she grew up. Textile art has long been a powerful medium for feminist expression and activism. By incorporating traditional techniques like crochet and weaving, often relegated to "women's work," artists challenge societal norms and elevate these crafts to the status of fine art. The last inspirational source that I used was the art from fourth-wave feminism, which showcased what is not considered “traditional beauty” by depicting women with curves, stretch marks, and hair in art. This representation of non “traditional beauty” helps women to learn to be comfortable in their bodies and this is something that is captured in this capstone. In this exhibition, the reclamation of textile art and imagery of women empowerment serves as a metaphor for the broader feminist movement, which seeks to redefine and celebrate the diverse experiences and identities of women.

Method

The method of creation was split into two parts, two-dimensional and three-dimensional. For the two-dimensional portion of this, the pattern was drawn in the application Procreate and we turned the drawing into a graphed crochet pattern on a website called Stitch Fiddle. After researching how to create a tapestry, I made four 10in x 10in tapestries composed of single crochet stitches and yarn in red and white colors. The three-dimensional portion was created in Unity, using its augmented reality software. In addition, the software Vuforia was used to streamline the creation process of the AR system. With both portions of the project combined, the tapestries can be scanned by a tablet and a new image will appear over it to demonstrate how society objectifies women, but how women preserve through it. 

Audience & Impact

The exhibition is designed to connect with young adult women and AFAB (Assigned Female At Birth) individuals through shared experiences of the impact of a cis-heteronomous society. This piece intends to create a sense of community and a safe space for those without one. The boob keychains are a sign for people to recognize a safe place. Outside of the target audience, viewers will gain an understanding of the different ways in which women are objectified and the effects that a cis-heteronormative society has on the way in which women are viewed. This may help them to sympathize and better understand the perspective of women. Audience members will be able to write down how they interpreted the work, how it made them feel, or answer the provided promotion in a journal that is a part of the exhibition. This allows them to reflect on what they have either learned or gained from viewing this exhibition. 

This capstone allowed me to grow as an artist and helped me to process the current state of our society. This being my first research-based art pieces, it taught me about organization and motivation. Additionally, this piece provides me the space to cope with the current state of our government. 

References

Chmielewski, Jennifer F. “A Listening Guide Analysis of Lesbian and Bisexual Young Women of Color’s Experiences of Sexual Objectification.” Sex Roles, vol. 77, no. 7–8, 2017, pp. 533–49, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-017-0740-4.

Kellie, Dax J., et al. “What Drives Female Objectification? An Investigation of Appearance-Based Interpersonal Perceptions and the Objectification of Women.” PloS One, vol. 14, no. 8, 2019, pp. e0221388–e0221388, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0221388.

“Not an object: On Sexualization and Exploitation of Women and Girls | UNICEF USA.” UNICEF USA, https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/not-object-sexualization-and-exploitation-women-and-girls-0

Sciberras, Ruby, and Claire Tanner. “Feminist Sex-Positive Art on Instagram: Reorienting the Sexualizing Gaze.” Feminist Media Studies, vol. 23, no. 6, 2023, pp. 2696–711, https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2022.2080752.

Acknowledgement

I’m extremely grateful to Heather Bremenstuhl, Harold Burgess, and Irene Park for this amazing opportunity to make a capstone. A special thanks to Heather Bremenstuhl for her invaluable contribution and support during the development of this capstone. I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to my friends and family who provided me with encouragement and kept me motivated throughout the duration of this project.