dirty daguerrotypes

Exhibitions

West Austin Studio Tour, 2019

'Shadow Selves' Group Exhibition at Google Austin, by curious@google

East Austin Studio Tour, 2020

The Bletchleyettes Group Exhibition 

My inspiration for Dirty Daguerrotypes' dates back to an art history course which centered on the 19th Century collections at the Yale Center for British Art. They have a wealth of original daguerreotypes, one of the earliest types of photographic prints, which were kept in protective cases to prevent decay. 

It always seemed strange to me that these daguerreotypes had a kind of peekaboo effect. The velvet-lined interiors added a layer of sensuality, even if the portrait was of someone totally platonic — like your curmudgeonly Aunt Marva. 

The pocket keepsakes I create are meant as a subversion of the stoic 19th century ones, reimagining the function of the photoboxes. Inside glitzy mirror compacts and cigarette boxes, you’ll find pocket-sized pinup girls. Instead of sentimental portraits, I use mass-produced images of women to comment on media and objectification in the modern age. I source these pinup girls from vintage comics, magazines, and matchbooks, and mirror compacts from vintage shops across Texas.