Vanessa Beecroft, VB 45, 2001 (detail)
“The shaved, waxed, trimmed and otherwise depilated female pubis that has become a cultural norm might be called a Pandora's box of conflicting fears and desires. On the one hand, there's the fear of hair or chaetophobia. Hair is a sign of maturity and strength, which far too many men find scary in women. Removing pubic hair may be a wish to infantilise women - to make them look more like little girls. Which, if taken further, comes uncomfortably close to paedophilia.”
Reading:
From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairytales and Their Tellers - Marina Warner
Razor Wire Pubic Hair - Carlton Mellick III