Keys to Consenting Locks
1976
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1976
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Keys to Consenting Locks is a 1976 by Myrna Shiras, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This drawing shows a group of odd, blobby shapes that look like keys tangled together. The colors are mostly dark blue, brown, and orange, with some white and red spots. The shapes have circles and lines inside them, making them look almost like they’re made of smaller pieces. The artist used tiny dots and lines to fill in some areas, giving the shapes texture. It’s like the keys are stuck in a pile, but they don’t look real—they’re more like a puzzle. Check out the technique: stippling to see how dots create shading.
The artwork *Keys to Consenting Locks* by Myrna Shiras, created in 1976, combines bodycolour and Indian ink over wax resists on a mounted board. The piece is signed in red ink by the artist and includes inscribed notes on its technique. A dossier accompanying the drawing, prepared by Shiras, explores her feminist approach to sexual and erotic subject matter.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Myrna Shiras spent her days drawing keys—hundreds of them, each one a little puzzle with teeth and notches.
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