The Ecstasy of St. Teresa
for fixed electronics
The Ecstasy of St. Teresa takes its name from the renowned sculpture of the same name by Baroque artist and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini located in the Cornaro Chapel in Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. The sculpture depicts St. Teresa of Ávila being pierced in the heart by an angel with a golden spear with a fiery tip. On either side of her are male members of the Cornaro family witnessing the event in theatre boxes. Both the sculpture and Teresa’s description of the religious experience have been compared to a sexual climax by critics and scholars.
Inspired by works such as Jeff Koons' Made in Heaven series and the music of Debussy, this piece explores the concept of the “male gaze” and voyeurism along with both the repression and exploitation of female sexuality throughout history. Lastly, it explores the possibility of human sexuality as a gateway to divine, spiritual, or intellectual enlightenment.
All sound samples for The Ecstasy of St. Teresa are taken from freesound.org and used under a Creative Commons license.
Inspired by works such as Jeff Koons' Made in Heaven series and the music of Debussy, this piece explores the concept of the “male gaze” and voyeurism along with both the repression and exploitation of female sexuality throughout history. Lastly, it explores the possibility of human sexuality as a gateway to divine, spiritual, or intellectual enlightenment.
All sound samples for The Ecstasy of St. Teresa are taken from freesound.org and used under a Creative Commons license.