BFA, Studio Art
Single Discipline Focus (Photography & Imaging)
Artist Statement
Defiance
To enforce toxic masculinity is to uphold women and queer people alike to expectations of humility and submission, and the photographs in the series Defiance are an emotional retaliation against these principles. The forest represents the deeply rooted societal structure of the patriarchy, and the figure in black—“The Man”—stands one with the trees. Believed to be shielded from the consequences of his actions, he looms in this playground that was created for his own gain and protection. The three figures in white represent those who embrace the beauty and strength of femininity. By utilizing long and double exposures, they constantly move and fluctuate throughout the compositions in rebellion of the rigid standards expected of them. The photographs are distressed by the mordançage process; the chemicals eat away at the black emulsion of the silver gelatin prints, thus leaving the white of the composition untouched. “The Man” is directly attacked by the chemistry as his form bleeds off, his figure camouflages into his surroundings, and he and the world he has built up falls apart on the paper. As the shadows of the prints deteriorate, the trio fights to stay present on the page, representing the act of defying the patriarchy. Although they are stained by “The Man’s” aggressive removal, they resiliently stand together. Their motion stirs in the movement of the mordançage, serving as an allegory of both their rage toward societal norms and the celebration of their freedom and community.
