Retro-FEM.

A glimpse at my latest work, this feminist series uses iconic female subjects reminiscent of pin-up girls of the 1940s and 50s to inspire nostalgia, connecting the viewing to past American culture. It brings to the forefront, the notion of “What it meant to be a proper woman…” and how those messages influenced generations of women, our grandmothers and mothers, ourselves in how they saw the world, themselves and their place in society. Bright, colorful and full of attitude, the subjects in this series are independent, comfortable in their form standing against the superficial directives of who they are supposed to be; the barrage of social and cultural conditioning directed at them through advertising and literature.

Real excerpts taken from actual publications shape the background, showing firsthand the impossible conflicting messages directed at women about being a woman (mostly from men). It is my hope this series will raise awareness of women’s issues around identity and self-worth, and inspire women to recognize their own intrinsic value to society and culture, outside of self-serving media and pop culture trends.