ARTIST STATEMENT
In Pinkprint the wearer's true self is lost within a surreal amalgamation of forms. Resembling a grotesque recombination of internal and external corporeality, the work embodies the overwhelming self-distortion experienced in establishing female identity amid contemporary expectations. The aggressively pink palette emphasises the femininity enforced by modern media and culture. In the polyptych display, the subject – dissimulated by her constructed exterior and caricaturised makeup – is helpless to the viewer's perception and judgement of her identity from all angles. Audiences are compelled to contemplate the imprint of contemporary standards on feminine identity.
ARTWORK PROCESS
Pinkprint develops the concept “art as alternate” through an evolution of the focus “material masquerade”. The work diverged from experimentation creating obscuring headpieces, which soon expanded to full body obscuring armature, as it more aptly addressed the contemporary context of female identity – tied intrinsically to the entire body. Textile techniques (crochet, sewing, embroidery) were adopted due to their associations as a traditionally feminine craft. The laborious and hands-on creation process mirrored the complex experience of fashioning identity in our contemporary world. It was decided that portraiture (taken wearing the suit) would extend understanding.
