The Madonna - Whore Complex

Authors

Rhiya S. Ashman, University of South Carolina - UpstateFollow

Creative Work Description

In this work, I wanted to explore the literature/media trope of the Madonna/Whore complex, specifically when it comes to Black women in media. The Madonna Whore complexes illustrate how women are often written into one of two extremes - they are either extremely pure, innocent, and childlike (The Madonna), or they are sexual, rebellious, and seductive (The Whore). The piece is full of symbolism, including the materials used to make it. I wanted to illustrate these extreme yet two dimensional ways these women were portrayed by creating them in flat paper, with no faces, to show how they are still caricatures of real people. Symbolism in the work includes roses, doves, and flowers (covered in blood) to symbolize innocence and docility. Along with it includes the bitten apple of Eve, a middle finger, and the exposing of a breast to symbolize rebellion. As a reference for Black Women specifically, the “Madonna '' wears her natural hair back, almost hidden, while the “Whore” wear her natural hair loud and proud, and is demonized for it. The playing as a medium symbolizes how women are often presented with these two options in how they want to be portrayed, and perceived, and how it is two sides of the same harmful coin.

Recommended Citation

Ashman, Rhiya S. (2025) "The Madonna - Whore Complex," Persimmon Creek: Vol. 1, Article 17.
Available at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/persimmoncreek/vol1/iss1/17