:: 2009 :: 59cm x 84cm :: Inks and Markers on Card ::
Dating to 25,000 years ago, the Venus de Brassempouy is a fragmentary ivory figurine of a female head. Given that most so-called Venus figurines of the Upper Palaeolithic lack a clearly delineated face, this piece has provoked controversial debate, particularly in view of the fact that the face on this piece seems so clear as to have been modelled on a specific individual. Who was this woman that we see before us? What did she mean to the sculptor? For me, whatever specific meaning the figurine may have had, it is the transfixing look in her eyes which captivates, and which forms the primary focus of this 2D representation of her made from entoptic dots. In the end, what can we know about the minds of our Palaeolithic forebears? In looking into her eyes,are we seeing the reality of what she represented or our modern fantasisies and expectations? Her glare invites us into her world, but as we accept the invitation, more questions remain than answers...
