Skip to Content
This work is a large woodblock print of a portrait of a woman framed by a window and is surrounded by religious symbols. Snakes, doves, wings, and foliage emerge from inside the frame around the woman. The woman is staring directly at viewers with an ambiguous and almost suggestive expression. A bright lime green fills the negative space of the black key image that lies on top.

Gouge Your Eyes

Rylie Schrotenboer

Woodblock Print

Undergraduate
In this piece I explored the roots and consequences of purity culture in the Christian church as an establishment through the process of printmaking. How the church views sexual immortality is ultimately harmful to many social groups and emphasis on purity and modesty has been used as a means to shame and oppress many individuals. Through this process, I also grappled with my own personal journey of deconstruction and raised questions about my faith.