Name/Title

Papercut

Entry/Object ID

K_0833

Tags

art around building

Description

“Nevertheless She Persisted” is a portrait of the (apocryphal) biblical heroine Judith, a “daring and beautiful widow” who slays the enemy general Holofernes with his own sword and brings his head back to her countrymen, in triumph; Israel is saved. This papercut takes its title from the words used in early 2017 by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in an attempt to silence the voice of Senator Elizabeth Warren. “Senator Warren was giving a lengthy speech,” said McConnell. “She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” McConnell’s words became a rallying cry for those who will not stand idly by and allow women’s voices to be silenced. Many traditional portraits of women use the “head bowed” posture — when men in similar narratives are usually shown with heads held high, basking in their own greatness. Women are traditionally shown as humble or modest in their achievements, undercutting their strength and undermining their accomplishments. In “Nevertheless” Judith is shown with her head bowed to subvert that model, and her sword shines bright as she contemplates what she’s achieved. The handle of her sword addresses the dichotomy of representation of female heroes in traditional narratives — the negative attributes applied to women so that they remain unsure of their power and themselves, above celebratory verses from the Book of Judith. The papercut is made of cut-up comics featuring female super heroes, including Wonder Woman, the first female human Green Lantern Jessica Cruz, Mary Jane Parker, Black Canary, Scarlet, Elektra, and more. The words in Judith’s face — “I’ve got no reason to be afraid any more” — come from a comic book called “The Wicked + The Divine” and are attributed to a character named Inanna — who shares a name with the Babylonian goddess of love, wisdom, and war.

Made/Created

Artist

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik

Date made

2022

Place

Country

USA

Continent

North America

Dimensions

Height

36 in

Width

24 in

Material

Paper, comics