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In the film, “That Obscure Object of Desire,” by Luis Bunuel, Mathieu is repeatedly denied by Conchita, the woman he desires. In the film, Conchita is played by two actresses highlighting the typical filmic stereotype of the female as either pure and virginal or seductive temptress. In one scene, the French actress, Carole Bouquet, the traditional beauty and more innocent of the two actresses, entices Mathieu only to return to the bed from the bathroom wearing a chastity belt-like undergarment. Frustrated, Mathieu gives up his attempts to remove the garment.
I am interested in the ever-present dichotomy of the virgin and the whore in representations of women. I created a chastity belt undergarment that alludes to the film and references that peculiar scene. However, this device administered a non-lethal electric shock when touched by the viewer.
The device, white with several straps, serves as a visual representation of virginity and purity. When the viewer touches the garment, the shock acts as a deterrent and shows that, as in the film, even the virginal woman is still potentially harmful and dangerous.
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