Embedded Files
Desarmado
Digital
Sketching/Development:
The surgical elements represent the criticism and constant picking apart that women face. America Ferrera's speech in "Barbie" described this sentiment beautifully. The lamb represents innocence, which I relate to women having to mature faster and femininity being demonized. It also deals with beauty standards and the need to fix yourself to fit into them.
The decision of which animal to use evaded me for a bit. At first I thought of a fawn for their representation of purity or a pigeon because of how they used to be pets and are now left on the street, but in the end I revised and chose a lamb for their significance of innocence and sacrifice. I chose the material of digital art because of the tools it provided to tweak the colors to give the piece a sickly and daunting feeling.
Inspiration and references:
Two-Headed Calf, by Laura Gilpin
Two-Headed Calf, by Laura Gilpin
Tomorrow when the farm boys find this
freak of nature, they will wrap his body
in newspaper and carry him to the museum.
But tonight he is alive and in the north
field with his mother. It is a perfect
summer evening: the moon rising over
the orchard, the wind in the grass. And
as he stares into the sky, there are
twice as many stars as usual.
Quote from Gloria's monologue from Barbie (2023) performed by America Ferrera:
Quote from Gloria's monologue from Barbie (2023) performed by America Ferrera:
"You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin. You have to have money, but you can't ask for money because that's crass. You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean. You have to lead, but you can't squash other people's ideas. You're supposed to love being a mother, but don't talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people. [...]
You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It's too hard! It's too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.
I'm just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don't even know."
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