The visual resistance of the Venus of Willendorf Project 2005–2021

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years the medical community has used the Venus of Willendorf, also referred to as the “Woman of Willendorf,” as a visual depicting illness to promote diet culture and represent fatness as negative. This article outlines how I as an artist used life experience to respond to the misappropriation of this icon of feminist history, how the Venus informed both my art and my personal recovery from disordered eating and led to increased health and self-respect. The idea of the Venus of Willendorf Project is to turn diet books into body-positive art, to educate viewers about the dangers of dieting, and instill in them a renewed appreciation for the beauty and strength of the Venus.