by Debra Thompson

With the emergence of the written word, virtually all cultures have employed religious texts to structure preferred tribal and eventually societal frameworks and language. These texts served as organizational tools, employing stories, parables, and declarations to establish guidelines of conduct considered necessary and suitable for those in positions of power.

The constructs defining the roles of women are encompassed within all religious contexts and doctrines, with none exempt. Many of these are characterized by patriarchal and misogynistic tendencies, with the text providing a blueprint for shaping current attitudes and roles toward women.

As women in advanced societies, we acknowledge the origins of these controlling mechanisms and reject their premises. We observe the contemporary world trending towards increased autocracy and theocracy, neither of which is conducive to the autonomy of women.

Pink Nails symbolizes the repudiation of religious texts that propagate discrimination and marginalization of women on behalf of authorities seeking control. The pages are deliberately crafted to evoke an ancient feel, with quotes sourced from a range of religious texts, both old and contemporary.

The nails allude to historical crucifixion, while the pink coloration signifies modern women's rejection of the degradation of their gender. Embedded in the background are words drawn from the present-day vernacular, reflecting the language used to describe and exert control over women today.

"The words and works of God is quite clear, that women were made either to be wives or prostitutes."
  - Martin Luther, Reformer, Protestant Reformation Theologian

"A wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband,..."
  - Southern Baptist Convention

"Again, as between the sexes, the male is by nature superior and the female inferior, the male ruler and female subject."
  - Politics, Aristotle.

See more of the exhibition

Off The Wall exhibition at the Berlin Bar & Bistro continues showing fabulous works by three very different women artists: Debra Thompson, Wendy Moyer and Ana Thiel.

All art in this exhibition is available for purchase.

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Debra Thompson BS Marine Biology, MA Communication Arts, has exhibited at the Palm Springs Art Museum (ACE), where she received Best of Show in 2015; Archangel Gallery and Venus Studios Gallery both in Palm Desert, CA. Selected work from Thompson's "Visual Discourse" series was included in a traveling exhibit: "Embedded Messages: Truth, Justice and the American Way," opening at the University of Redlands, Redlands, CA (Oct-Nov 2016) traveling to Highlands Gallery, Chicago, IL (May, 2017) and in Washington, DC (2016).

Debra moved to San Miguel in 2017 to retire and explore other art mediums. Her shows in SMA include first "Sube y Baja" at Casa Europa in 2019-20; again at Casa Europa, a group show, "Attachments" in 2022; and now, 2023-24, a group exhibition, "Off the Wall" at Berlin Bar & Bistro.

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