Redefining the Missing

Ann Romney was attacked for being a homemaker. Hillary Clinton is often made fun of for wearing pantsuits. Models are blasted for being anorexic and the average woman criticized for being obese. Girls are told to be princesses, but scolded for being divas. Adolescent girls are pushed to grow up, and then society wonder why innocents does not last. Are these things connected? Do they stem from the same thing?

I believe women are once again in the midst of an unacknowledged revolution, a counter-feminism, if you will. All women agree on ownership, voting, individual rights, equal employment opportunity, salary, work competition, etc. But for young women, the rest has become secondary and is defined by each female as she grows and forms opinions. I think subconsciously, many women are finding it is no longer mandatory to be feminists, nor do they necessarily want the title with a rather heavy history attached. This generation wants the basic ideals and victories feminism won without the hard exterior, the anti-man attitude and pressure to be the ultimate power-woman. The power of a woman is known and acknowledged and it is time for something different. Perhaps the Ann Romney situation shows us that women are still too sensitive to gender roles, but also it is a sign we have more changing to do.

These images show the dress - the shell or shroud of a female. It is a symbol of “woman”, of her emotions, spirit, potential, future, and her identity or lack thereof.  It waits or lives in all sorts of places, a mere reflection, a symbol, of what we could be or of what we are now. Hopefully, the dress connects with women, relatable or representational of something in their lives. The light is very strong, often dramatic and placed to inspire stories or ideas of what comes next. The lighting either acts as a spotlight or as a contender for the dress and its fate. The light is almost the opposite of the dress, but also reveals what one needs to see about this image and about the dress.

The “missing” women will redefine the “dress”, someday. I believe it will be a change we all want and that it will be the definition of “woman” and “feminism” we want and have been looking for all along.

"Growing Up" - Part of Independent Study

Growing Up

These images represent the things I hang on to as ways or reasons to remain a child. All these things, and more, have caused me to behave immaturely or have given people reason to question my sanity.  The superheroes, the cartoons, the dolls, the toys, extraterrestrials, the imagination and fascination with magic are some of my favorite things in life. One cannot leave those supremely important elements behind. One may leave childhood, but the land of imagination must never be lost.

    Here the heroes, colliding with the worlds of literature that I have devoured since a child and beyond. The humor and dream-like qualities make one question the image. One wants to challenge the absurdity, but also join in the odd adventure unfolding. Soldiers advance over the spines of old novels, as comic book characters become models of vanity, melodramatics, and fear. These iconic figures of the cinema are now laughable, but one would still join in the game for the fun of it. The light here is very dramatic and spooky, arranged to simulate the look when one turns on a single light while others are asleep. The toys enjoy their revelry while humans are unaware. The light is used to produce deep shadows, highlight the edges of the toys, and create a surreal mood.

Perhaps the process of playing with the toys and creating these scenes made me more of a child than these images declare childishness. Regardless, they are reminders of what we use to enjoy and what we miss as sleeping adults.

"Never Alone" video art class

A video influenced by the soundtrack - and loosely associated with the verse Job. 7:19. The idea is that we - humans - are never truly alone as the spirit world is constantly moving and battling around us. We just rarely see or hear it for the business and noise of our lives. I apologize for the poor quality required to upload on a PC.
Copyright Shaina Sieh 2012