When I look at a black and white photograph, I view it in relation to the history of photography. I have never really enjoyed modernist work by Ansel Adams, or the black and white photograms by Man Ray, nor the images of Edward Weston. I can appreciate these images in the context of the history of the medium, but the images themselves have never instill much feeling while I look at them. I do however really enjoy looking at carte de visites and images of women cross dressing as men from the 19th century. I think I enjoy the carte de visites because it was the beginning of photographs emergence into a more mainstream commodity. As for the images of women wearing pants, this alludes to the revolutionary spirit instilled in dress reformers which eventually lead to the Suffragette movement. My thesis work this year, attempts to subvert the objectification of the female nude throughout art history.
In the west, embroidery is a traditional female practice. I decided to apply this pattern onto the skin of the female subject. This image attempts to reflect upon how women where labeled as being domestic, serene, docile and loving mothers, etc. More so, within the frame, the female was usually used as a prop, an object staring into space for the viewer to appreciate. There were not very many opportunities to move away from these stereotypes. Stereotypes and social codes of behaviour are often invisible tattoos that we all wear. The oval frame alludes to the historical time I am referencing in this work.
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