Emily Culver

The object is neither clearly internal nor external, neither fully sculptural nor overtly wearable. Stereoscopic Flesh, Illusionary Organ presents itself as an ambiguous bodily fragment. Its scale suggests intimacy, yet its surface resists familiarity. Culver positions the viewer immediately in a state of uncertainty, asking them to look closely while withholding legibility.

The form is bulbous and softly contoured, organized around a recessed central cavity. Its surface is irregular but cohesive, composed of clustered protrusions that resemble swollen tissue, cellular growth, or inflamed matter. The photopolymer material produces a matte, granular skin that absorbs light rather than reflecting it, muting any sense of polish. Color is subdued and flesh-adjacent, hovering between mineral and organic tones. Nothing here is sharp or resolved; the object reads as pliable, pressurized, and slightly unstable.

What distinguishes the work is its dependence on perception rather than fixed appearance. Embedded stereoscopic imagery requires active participation from the viewer, asking the eyes to relax, refocus, and misalign in order to reveal hidden dimensions. The object does not disclose itself immediately. Instead, it demands a bodily adjustment, turning vision into a tactile act. Looking becomes labor. Perception becomes contingent.

This reliance on optical illusion complicates the object’s relationship to the body. The surface reads as skin, yet the illusion suggests depth beneath that skin like an interior that can only be accessed through a learned visual technique. Culver collapses the boundary between exterior and interior, positioning the viewer’s gaze as a penetrative force. The work does not allow passive consumption; it requires intimacy, proximity, and a willingness to linger in uncertainty.

Stereoscopic Flesh, Illusionary Organ engages with the fragility of bodily knowledge. The piece evokes medical imaging, prosthetics, and diagnostic tools without adopting their clinical clarity. Instead, it introduces distortion. The body here is mutable, deceptive, and difficult to read. What appears solid dissolves under scrutiny. What seems familiar becomes estranged. Culver resists the authority of anatomical certainty, offering a body that cannot be fully known or stabilized.

The work aligns with Culver’s broader exploration of (non)functionality and corporeal ambiguity. While the object is not wearable in a traditional sense, it behaves like a surrogate body that invites projection, discomfort, and speculative touch. The illusionary organ does not serve a function, yet it insists on engagement. Its usefulness lies in its ability to disrupt expectations of how bodies should be seen, understood, or controlled.

Viewed within the context of contemporary jewelry and object-based practice, Stereoscopic Flesh, Illusionary Organ operates at the edge of adornment. It does not decorate the body but mirrors it, reflecting back the instability of perception and identity. Culver treats the object as an autonomous entity. One that exists alongside the body rather than in service to it. What emerges is a quiet confrontation. The work asks how much of the body is constructed through vision, how much is imagined, and how much remains inaccessible. By merging digital illusion with tactile form, Culver creates an object that feels simultaneously intimate and alien. It is a body that refuses to settle into clarity, reminding us that perception itself is a fragile organ.

References

Culver, Emily. “Emily Culver.” Accessed October 18, 2025.
https://www.emily-culver.com/

Art Spiel. “Emily Culver: The Idea of a Thing.” Accessed October 18, 2025.
https://artspiel.org/emily-culver-the-idea-of-a-thing/

BK Metal Works. “Emily Culver: Preludes.” Accessed October 18, 2025.
https://www.bkmetalworks.com/exhibition-calendar/emily-culver-preludes

Maakê Magazine. “Emily Culver.” Accessed October 18, 2025.
https://www.maakemagazine.com/emily-culver

Old Dominion University. “Emily Culver.” Accessed October 18, 2025.
https://www.odu.edu/directory/emily-culver