GWEN CANFIELD
Soft Target
acrylic on found infant bodysuit
12” x 8.5”
2025
DESCRIPTION
Soft Target examines forced masculine performance. This painting
expresses how deeply ingrained patriarchal roles are that even in parenting,
hypermasculinity is projected onto an unknowing infant. Buying cute clothes
for an infant who is not yet seen as a “man” is the mother’s job, yet when
the child grows into its harshly conditioned role, the father’s job unveils. In
the work itself, a “cute” and “delicate” outfit is the canvas for the projection
of a hunter.
“My little baby wears lambs, bunnies and bear cubs all patterned
across the bodysuit Mom picked out for him. Dad can buy him men’s clothes
later.”
INSTA @ joydolyn
WEBSITE gjcanfield.myportfolio.com
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Bio
Gwendolyn Canfield is a painter from Cleveland, OH, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her work often investigates sensitive approaches to performance through paintings and drawings. Her work has been exhibited at The Richard Robinson Scholastic Building in New York, NY, the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus, OH, the Cleveland Public Library in Cleveland, OH, and the Transformer Station in Cleveland, OH. Her honors include the Sue Wall Painting Award and the Selma A. Walzer Scholarship.