Imaginative Objects: Reading the Image in Research. University of Brighton Creative Futures. April – May 2019: Feminine Niceties

Images from post-war, mid-twentieth century advertising aimed at women and my re-imagination of them upon objects that act as metaphors to contextualise them, play a central role in my practice-based research. The application and subversion of these visual messages translates society’s expectations of women into tangible objects that point a mirror back at the industry responsible for these images, highlighting the ridiculous nature of their claims. Yellow dusters metaphorically visualise domesticity, whilst dressing-table cloths and lingerie from this era signify the beautification and objectification of the female body.
In a period when UK-based initiatives encouraged women back into the home after the war and in the US, sold the American dream, the image of the ‘ideal woman’ was born. Pretty, perfect and domestically minded, it’s an ideal that persists today.
Images are reimagined through embroidery and collage into new compositions that borrow from several sources. The feminine legacy of embroidery connects historical ideas of women’s work and status with image-lead aspirations of an apparently perfect female life.

Image 1: An exact copy of a make-up advert upon a dressing-table cloth. These image-lead narratives set the tone for expected behaviour as well as appearance.
Image 2: Original text from a Veet hair-removing cream embroidered upon a vintage nightie, subverted through a collection of glamorous models who have flowers growing from their armpits.