Miss Cox

‘Miss Cox (Nude – Arising from the Ground)’ is a many-sided artistic translation of artist Mariken Wessels’ fascination for an anonymous woman who had posed for Eadweard Muybridge’s camera in 1885. In the 24-image sequence ‘Arising from the Ground’ (plate 286) the obese woman, who was supposedly named Miss Cox, can be traced from lying down to a full upright position. Affected by her appearance, Wessels began to make large clay sculptures and to photograph obese female models swimming underwater. In these photographs Wessels focuses on the landscapes which a body assumes when impressed by water. Besides the underwater series and photographic views of the sculptures, ‘Miss Cox’ also contains studio views including sketches and other research materials.