Fine Art Exhibition · Mixed Media · Houston TX
REHUMANIZE short-circuits the thought process of sexual objectification, going beyond skin deep into discovering what it really means to be human.
The Thesis
When we dehumanize others, we dehumanize ourselves as well.
“REHUMANIZE short-circuits the thought process of sexual objectification, going beyond skin deep into discovering what it really means to be human.”Artist Statement
The Process
REHUMANIZE was created from existing sexualized imagery curated from over 10,000 images online. I restored the chosen images with a bold artistic aesthetic and a provocative, rehumanizing message. I then hung the final pieces on my gallery wall as a way of releasing them back into the world with a new message and purpose.
“To enter the messy world of sexual objectification and pornography, to re-claim this imagery, to ‘clean them up’, and place them back into the world with a new story has been a powerfully redemptive process — in medium, message and method.”Taylor Gahm
The Artist
The Intent
REHUMANIZE won’t instantly heal a lifetime of shame and objectification but it can — and has served — as a powerful first step for many towards restoration into health and wholeness.
The REHUMANIZE gallery hosted thousands of conversations over a span of two years.
Content Advisory
The canvases below contain imagery that addresses sexual objectification. The work is provocative by design — confronting, not exploiting. Viewer discretion advised.
Canvas One
“The problem with pornography is not that it shows too much, but that it shows too little.”
Canvas Two
“Obsession misses the joy of the present by playing only with the wrapping paper.”
Canvas Three
“Perhaps her fantasies are a bit too honest for arousal.”
Canvas Four
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Artist Statement
Sexual objectification and pornography approached as moral failure misses the heart of the issue; when we dehumanize others we dehumanize ourselves as well.
REHUMANIZE short-circuits the thought process of sexual objectification, going beyond skin deep into discovering what it really means to be human.
I created REHUMANIZE from existing sexualized imagery curated from over 10,000 images online. I restored the chosen images with a bold artistic aesthetic and a provocative, rehumanizing message. I then hung the final pieces on my gallery wall as a way of releasing them back into the world with a new message and purpose.
To enter the messy world of sexual objectification and pornography, to re-claim this imagery, to ‘clean them up’, and place them back into the world with a new story has been a powerfully redemptive process — in medium, message and method.
The intent of the show is to make space for meaningful conversations around issues of sexual objectification, identity and self worth.
REHUMANIZE has shown at major music festivals, anti-human trafficking advocacy events, Ivy League universities, collegiate functions, private parties, art markets, as well as various other events and exhibitions.
REHUMANIZE won’t instantly heal a lifetime of shame and objectification but it can — and has served — as a powerful first step for many towards restoration into health and wholeness.
I can’t fully explain what happened to me while creating and sharing REHUMANIZE, but if you spend some contemplative time with the work, I think you might feel many of the same things I did.
To learn more, get involved, or bring REHUMANIZE to your city, contact me.
In the News
The local news came to the REHUMANIZE gallery to talk about objectification, art and what it means to be human. If you’re trying to figure out what REHUMANIZE is all about — this is a great place to start.
“I can’t fully explain what happened to me while creating and sharing REHUMANIZE, but if you spend some contemplative time with the work, I think you might feel many of the same things I did.”Taylor Gahm
Exhibitions
REHUMANIZE has shown at major music festivals, anti-human trafficking advocacy events, Ivy League universities, collegiate functions, private parties, art markets, as well as various other events and exhibitions.
Featured Exhibitions
Community-Funded
The REHUMANIZE gallery was crowdfunded for two years. Contributions ranged from $5 to $200 a month, and together that community raised over $40,000 to sustain the space and host its gatherings. It became a hub — a community of faith, of healing, of recovery. Church small groups hosted there. College groups visited from out of state. Meetings, meetups, and gatherings happened on a regular rhythm. The gallery was also part of an art market, which brought weekly and monthly foot traffic through the doors.