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Junichi Saito’s sculptures indulge in a fetishistic view of young girls’ bodies. The Path of a Pervert (2004) presents a mannequin of a female torso, minus its head and limbs. This partial figure has few individual personal characteristics. The high school girl’s gym uniform is both immaculate and provocative. With echoes of the fragmentary remains of classical Greek and Roman statuary, the sculpture on the one hand presents this objectification as culturally acceptable. Yet on the other hand, with its gold leaf coated edges, it references the mannequins displayed in luxury goods stores, its innocence becoming highly seductive and tempting. Saito problematizes society’s attitude to youth and the sexual desire of innocence.
