JUDITH LOEB WHITAKER, MSS, LCSW
As a Sculptor, Writer, Psychotherapist and Mindfulness Practitioner, I call on the same intuitive process to inspire my work. My teachers and the work of other artists is my guide, but when I conceive and create a piece much of what I create comes from feeling, listening, intuiting within myself. When I sculpt, my ideas and movements often come to me by letting go of thought and getting lost in the work.
I learned in graduate school that “a good therapist follows.” In my sculpture, where I normally work in clay, I am often following my own unconscious. I feel the work much more than thinking about it. The more I let go and fully immerse myself in the process, the better I feel. My art allows me to effortlessly practice mindfulness and brings me feelings of contentment, joy, and peace and informs my best work as a therapist, and human.
She/Her
(Sculpture/Assemblage, 30.5” x 24” x 10”)
She/Her was born from an assignment to create a sculpture from 100 or more of one object. I chose condoms as my joyful LGBTQ+ daughters (ages 18 and 21) kept bringing them back from LGBTQ+ events.
This piece was inspired after my older daughter, who is transgender, found a bag of my clay and molded a small nude sculpture of a trans woman. It was a beautiful piece, about 6 inches tall, and inspired me to think differently about the female nudes I created and what defines a female body.
As my husband and I raise our two girls and follow/support them in their journey we’ve been struck by the fearlessness, and passion of this generation of LGBTQ+ kids. They are bold and proud to discover who they are without limits. She/Her is created in their spirit.
She/Her is 3D and her back/side views also reflect the beauty and strength of this young woman. Her body is made of condoms wrappers and her hair, nipples and genitalia are made of colorful condoms. Her spine is made of dental dam packaging.