Strong Woman You, Strong Woman Me 4

I rarely take inspiration head on, preferring to work through ideas with reference to past voices and leaving a conversation in the artistic air. In my figurative work I seek unlikely physical shifts to reveal an inherent awkwardness, throwing into question what we are led to believe is beauty and beautiful. In the media circus of the 21st century we are bombarded by images of apparent perfection, yet we appear to miss the point of the beauty of soul.

 

My current body of work looks back over centuries of figurative representation to re-evaluate the place of women in societies that demand beauty from them. These new portraits free the sitters of Holbein, Vermeer and Klimt from the constraints of corsets and convention. The corsets are off, and they are not going back on.

Strong Woman You, Strong Woman Me is a series of work growing out of Me Too, war, oppression and populations on the move, the faces looking out at us, the eyes talking for so many women around the world who remain silent. I may not be able to tell their stories, but I can help them ask the questions. 

 

My current exploration of strong faces shows I am getting pretty fed up with the word beautiful. It takes everything away and gives us nothing in return. When we award status beauty we deny strength and intelligence. If status beauty is not awarded, what then?
 

Oil on Paper

61x77cm

Framed with non reflective glass