REGURGITATION
Regurgitation is a mixed-media project comprising two elements: 1) an experimental film and photography series that depicts the artists sensually consuming and subsequently regurgitating exotic fruits and 2) a set of clear transparent epoxy resin beverage coasters that artistically display the “effluent,” regurgitated material. By visually exploring the parallels between fruit and the female body, specifically in the context of exotic eroticism, our project offers an aesthetic critique on the sexualization and fetishization of Asian women.
“Regurgitation.” (2021). Digital Photography by Mara Blaise Willis.
WRITTEN BY EMILY MA & LING DEBELLIS
In the wake of multiple readings, films, and class discussions on overly sexualized Asian women, we were inspired to base our project on this topic. Not only is it an issue deeply rooted in today’s world to the point of normalization, but it also is one that we felt strongly about based on our personal experiences as East Asian women. Furthermore, we noted a strange paradox in which Asian women are seen as overtly sexual and exotic, but are also expected to be cute, timid, and innocent. We wanted to capitalize on this paradox by making a work that was not explicitly sexual, but instead blurred the lines between the innocent consumption of fruit and something more sensual in nature.
The first challenge in our artistic journey was securing the fruits themselves. We knew we wanted to center our film around exotic Asian fruits, but there were only two viable sources for said fruits: Amazon Fresh or H Mart. Ultimately, we decided that Jeff Bezos needed to be taken down a notch, so we set out one sunny Saturday morning for H Mart on Bellaire (a friend kindly offered to drive us so that we could avoid a 3.5 hour hike). In no time, we were surrounded on all sides by vibrant fruits of all shapes and sizes, from tiny lychees the size of a ping pong ball to gigantic green papayas that weighed as much as a newborn baby. Our shopping cart was soon filled to the brim with a mishmash of fruits (and Asian snacks for our personal pleasure). We spent a total of $78 on fresh fruits, including (but not limited to) papayas, Korean melons, Korean pears, mangoes, plums, honeydew, and pomelos (aka grapefruits).
“Regurgitation.” (2021). Digital Photography by Mara Blaise Willis.
“Regurgitation.” (2021). Digital Photography by Mara Blaise Willis.
On the day of the shoot (thank you to our amazing photographer, Blaise!) we met in Rice University’s Duncan quad, trying to ignore the other students watching us with a mixture of curiosity and concern as we unpacked roughly seven bags of fruit off of a dolly. Our clothing choice was intentional—we wore matching white v-necks to symbolize the link between innocence and sensuality.
Initially, it felt a little awkward to lick and finger these fruits in broad daylight (especially in front of the gigantic glass windows of Duncan commons) but as we progressed, it quickly became more comfortable. Soon, we were laughing with fruit juice all over our faces and hands. An unexpected bonus to this project was all of the extra fruit we could snack on in between takes—no scurvy to be found in our immediate future! Also, we were surprised at the sheer amount of waste left after we finished ravaging the fruit. We were left with a mountain of peels, rinds, and half-eaten skins, topped with a healthy serving of dirt. It provided a literal representation of our project’s effluence, but at the same time, it was also quite aesthetic due to the variety of colors and textures.
The fleshiness, juiciness, and pure messiness of the fruit provided an interesting contrast to stereotypical constructions of Asian women as described by Cheng: a “decorative, disposable toy for leisure [...] a pure escape into the dream of artificial ontology” (Cheng, 135-140). Far from this smooth, impermeable syntheticness, our project was messy, porous, and uncontained. Our decision to film outside in the dirt and grass introduced an element of organic earthiness as well. Also, although this wasn’t planned, we were not able to discard all of the smaller leftover seeds because they were scattered all over the ground—perhaps by leaving behind a physical reminder of our actions, we further undermined the idea of complete disposability and artificiality.
“Regurgitation.” (2021). Digital Photography by Mara Blaise Willis.
Instead of adding music or voiceovers to the film, we decided to layer ASMR sounds in the background for audio. We focused mostly on mouth sounds (chewing, blowing, swallowing, etc) but also incorporated tapping, rustling, rubbing sounds, etc. We decided to incorporate ASMR because it is something that is often sexualized, especially when filmed by women online. Most of the time, these videos are completely innocent—simply tapping on jars or reading books out loud. However, many users still consider these videos to be sexual in nature due to their intimacy. This is very similar to the theme of innocence merging with sensuality that we centered our own project around, so we thought ASMR audio would be a nice way to tie everything together.
The last component of our project was creating a set of decorative resin coasters containing chewed up fruit. This was the clearest merge of our two individual “effluent art” projects. Ling’s previous project, Spermatozoa, incorporated real human semen into a series of clear, epoxy resin coasters as a literal conversation starter on human sexuality and sexual behaviors. Spermatozoa — an ambitious, yet successful, endeavor — aimed to reframe sex dialogues in a new light through a visually appealing but somewhat shocking way. Carried over to Regurgitation, this new set of coasters similarly cements bodily “effluence” in functional tableware. It aims to continue the dialogue on how harmful aspects of sex, especially the fetishization of Asian women, lurk in our oftentimes voyeuristic and ephemeral world. Essentially, Regurgitation’s coasters are an addendum, a “female” compliment to Spermatozoa’s containing semen, striking a critique of both the social and physical regurgitation of the Asian female body and its misconceptions.
Interestingly, the resin coasters unintentionally resembled menstruation—this offers important commentary on the stigmatization of menstruation, even in the 21st century. Although it is a completely natural bodily function, menstruation is often seen through a misogynistic lens as “dirty” or “impure.” In many households, the discussion on menstruation is still taboo, and the American education system often fails to healthily teach menstruation, let alone comprehensive sex ed. Regurgitation’s coasters carry dual meaning: 1) the literal act of spitting up our sensually eaten fruits is a strong, critical message toward the dark, disgusting, and deeply rooted nature of Asian fetishization and 2) the resulting, regurgitated “effluence” resembles a woman’s menstruation in a twist of familiarity — we are so sensitized to the sexualization of the Asian female body but not the natural, inherently biological processes like having a period.
Emily’s previous project, “Bready Bear,” involved chewing up bread, spitting it out, and then molding it into the shape of a teddy bear. In this current project, the same theme of regurgitation can be seen in our using chewed up fruit and saliva to make these resin coasters. In addition, although this was not mentioned in the original document, the idea for “Bready Bear” came from experiences with disordered eating—how something that is so destructive can also somehow feel comforting at times, hence the teddy bear shape. We thought this theme of disordered eating paired well with our current project, since in many East Asian countries, women and young girls are expected to adhere to strict beauty standards and thus often struggle with their body image. Thus, the simple, innocent act of eating can transform into something much more disturbing.
Regurgitation is messy. It’s loud. It demands attention. We must confront the horrifyingly normalized erotic exoticism that we so quickly consume. We must spit up our harmful misconceptions of Asian women and their bodies. Perhaps, our regurgitation now will let us stomach a world where sex is no longer cast aside like the effluent rinds of exotic fruits, but is instead wholly respected, honored, and valued.
WATCH “REGURGITATION” HERE:
CONTENT WARNING: CONTAINS CHEWING SOUNDS (MISOPHONIA)
The artists would like to thank:
Josh Bernstein & Dr. Mike Gustin
Mara Blaise Willis
H Mart Houston on Bellaire
Ling DeBellis (left) & Emily Ma (right). Photography by Mara Blaise Willis. 2021.
