"Pretty Pretty Princess" Gender stereotyping starts at a young age. This is a game that I played as a child called "Pretty Pretty Princess" and the object is to collect to most jewelry and eventually attain the ultimate piece of jewelry, the crown. It teaches girls that material goods will make you "pretty" and it promotes competition over who will win the greatest hierarchical symbol of the crown.
"Your Stereotypical Female" This image depicts stereotypical feminine commodities all in the one color that represents women...PINK. I wanted to represent everything "feminine" with the color pink, lacy-frilly goodies, flowers, and unnecessary products geared at making women more attractive. Unfortunately I proved to myself that even though I consider myself a liberal feminist, I am still your stereotypical woman who can't help but to fall into societies norms because all of these things are mine.
"Lady Laura" I used all of the feminine commodities upon my transgendered friend Laura. Her sex is biologically considered male, but she has been female psychologically ever since she was young. Gender is flexible and can be altered with just material items geared towards a certain type. All you have to do is buy and use what is targeted towards that specific gender and you can become whomever you desire.
"What Makes a Woman" You are biologically a female if you menstruate. You can disguise your appearance outwardly but there's no hiding the reality of your monthly cycle. In modern society this is image is considered disgusting, or taboo but in ancient times it was considered mysterious and even magic. "This blood was regarded with reverence: it had mysterious magical powers, was inexplicably shed without pain, and was wholly foreign to male experience. Early menstrual rites were perhaps the first expression of human culture."-http://www.fwhc.org/health/moon.htm#time
"Moon Mother" It is said that before electric lights women menstruate around the full moon and most would even have the same cycle. Also in many cultures the moon is tied to femininity and represents fertility and motherhood. This image depicts a collage of clippings from "Good Housekeeping" beauty advertisements targeted at women. I used a watercolor wash with sea salt for the luminescent background, washable marker smeared for her dramatically defined wrinkles, and then i glued a pad to her head.
