Meléndez’s works are informed by the history of feminism, and by the legacy of patriarchal attitudes towards women. Here, the artist depicts the female form on a large scale, including four figures on a white, neutral background. Keenly aware of contemporary discourses on the role of women, and the impact of social media and popular culture on standards of beauty, Meléndez reflects on stigmas associated with plastic surgery and with the natural body. Three of the figures are based on images of contemporary singers of urban music, reggaetón, and dembow (La Insuperable, Anitta, and Tokischa) whose controversial lyrics and videos push the boundaries of social norms. For Meléndez, the work is a call to “keep pushing boundaries, dismantling traditions, and transgressing to liberate women’s sexuality, and demand equal rights.”

Gisela Carbonell PhD, Rollins Museum of Art