Artist Statement
This series of portraits displays uncommon depictions of young women in comparison to today’s society. These portraits are intended to illustrate, dramatize and satirize the media’s archetype of the standard beautiful woman. Instead of pleasant, complacent women, these images depict violence, delinquent behaviors, and overall distasteful demeanors. Most women present themselves in a manner that they have come to know as standard and acceptable. Seeing this played out in how my friends and even strangers behave, particularly when being photographed, inspired me to investigate how one might challenge this expectation. The portraits contrast the subjects glamorous clothes and dramatic make-up against their bruised faces and aggressive demeanors. The expectation of women to conform to the beautiful, docile female archetype that the media has created is challenged in these portraits in a satirical fashion. The portrayal of women in media is as limiting and unrealistic as the female characters in my portraits. These portraits dramatize the small rebellions that many women go through every day, such as refusing to smile when a stranger tells you you’d be much prettier if you did so.
