Mixed-Media Series - O'Toole

Elizabeth O’Toole

Professor Rehm

Advanced Drawing

30 March 2020

Mixed-Media Series: Escaping Preconceptions

            Upon the start of formulating a concept behind my mixed-media series, a general theme developed fairly organically as my research gravitated towards a certain set of artists, aesthetics, and ideas. Much of my artwork and paintings focus on topics such as the female identity and form as well as how that identity fits and interacts within different constructs and expectations. Along with such ideas, I have always gravitated towards retro source photography and women’s interactions with the camera. As I began researching artists as a source of inspiration, a few different artists stood out to me for their similarities in substance and ideas.

            Firstly, I found inspiration in the work of Barbara Kruger and her use of black and white photography paired with bold statements in red. I think Barbara Kruger has always been a subconscious influence as I didn’t fully realize the similarities in aesthetics until much later in the development of my series. Her use of charged photos paired with bold linework and statements channel a similar energy to that which I aim to express in my series. Another artist whose work served as a source of inspiration was that of artist Lorna Simpson who explores ideas of race and gender through her work. I was particularly inspired by her 1989 series, Easy for Who to Say, where she erases the face from female portraits replacing it with a vowel with a given meaning. This commentary of women being told, viewed, and given certain expectations and constructs is another concept I wanted to explore.

            My series includes 12 black and white pieces using print, photography, painting, and collage to express feminist ideas surrounding the views and pressures of women throughout history and today while also considering the idea of the “male gaze.” While I think it is fair to allow viewers the liberty to interpret any series or artwork as they wish, I merely wish to explain ideas I contemplated while creating this series. Along with using a variety of black and white photography and imagery, I chose to obscure the vision of each subject in my series in one form or another often striking these women’s eyes with red paint to exemplify the ways their own views are often taken away from them or made less significant in a society dominated by the male heterosexual perspective. While I was inspired by retro photography and source imagery, it is also indicative of the ways women have been oppressed throughout history even before any of these photos were taken. With their vision obscured and emotions ambiguous, it brings up the question of who is taking the photograph and the outsider’s perspective on how she looks. I also specifically chose photography of women in motion, often running or moving, trying to escape these preconceptions of how they are to be and act. With my layering of paint and linework, I hope to emphasize motion and tension as the women photographed work to release themselves from these imposed constructs.