Lauren Clinton

Split from adam’s rib is my latest project exploring female representation throughout art history. As a photographer, I have always found that my projects lean into social messages, and with the social media age, photography has both encouraged unrealistic expectations and diversified our perception of people. I want to use my photography in a narrative style to explore representation and especially the issues associated with women’s beauty. With the recent diversification of the female image and beauty standards set by society, in this project, I reflect upon the original depictions and ideals created throughout the centuries to control the female autonomy and has only reached a pivotal change in the last 100 years. Drawing on artist references such as sculptures, paintings, and music, this project looks at major female portrayals from historical society and how they informed the way a woman should behaviour and look in particular eras of political and social change and turmoil. With so many art pieces of women created by men, the voyeuristic gaze placed upon women and the misogynistic portrayal creates an already prejudice sex into the patriarchal ideological image. My project looks at these images from a feminist perspective and how these artistic representations have both informed history as well as built into modern society. I want to embrace these archetypes and images curated by men and empower women in these roles as figures of power and personal fulfilment rather than subjects of the male gaze or scapegoats for patriarchal disruption. Women must reclaim their bodies and image, to control their own narrative.