New Work
Media continues to play a pivotal role in pop culture today. While media contributes to defining and reflecting our self-image and roles in society, social media offers the opportunity for us to respond. It provides the performer the stage, the speaker a voice, the player tools and forums, and even the observer a veil to stand behind.
My first 'girl' series is called 'Perfect Illusion'. From all directions and encouraged by media, the message of perfection is stronger than ever. Young girls and women today feel the constant pressure to be the perfect beauty, the perfect worker and student, the perfect wife, mother and daughter. Trying to live up to this unnatural and unattainable ideal becomes overwhelming and can have devastating results.
My second 'boy' series is called 'Level Up'. Over the years, I have watched parents try to control and regulate the use of video games and other media in their children’s lives. Most are very passionate about the subject and view it as harmful and damaging. Then I see children, especially the boys, become equally passionate and enamored to playing the games. The subject develops huge barriers, recesses and struggles within families. It's amazing how media has truly permeated our lives on so many levels. The video game's allure to boys and men has both positive and negative impact. Advantages like increasing focus and visual-spatial skills are encouraging, but its' the gender stereotyped messages which are disturbing. Gaming's apparent gender disparity is also developing a greater gap between women and men.
