"Working Woman"

I have finally figured out how to use this blog application. I am happy to report that I am a (fairly) new member of One Stone Collective. So far, I have found a great positive team and am thrilled for the adventures that lie ahead. So, a big shout out to fellow OSC members. Thanks for embracing me. I am busy thinking about the upcoming exhibition, These Role(s) We Wear exploring the idea of "Working Woman". I remember the first day I started college, my Mom telling me to become a nurse, while in the back of my head, I kept thinking about how my father said to become a construction worker. Somehow these words still permeate my thoughts and feed my work as an artist.

For this upcoming exhibition supported in part by Lehigh University, I am exploring "Working Woman” archetype using Rosie the Riveter as a point of departure. I am looking at the feminine and masculine aspects of the “Working Woman” in relation to my own experiences. My mixed media diptych, Shades of Tiffany Blue and Gun Metal Grey, includes nuts, bolts, nails, wood, watercolor, enamel and oil paints. Through this selection of industrial materials and stereotypical colors and my process of drilling, I am claiming traditionally male materials and processes to explore my personal notion of gender and stereotype. I use the drill as a tool to freely “draw” with—exploring the ideas of machine vs. aesthetics. I am transforming the act of “work” from male to female—the materials from male to female—the aesthetics of utilitarian and the everyday into beauty. Through this self-portrait, I hope to break down my own perceptions of society’s imposed gender ideals.

The image posted is a study for the diptych. Colors and materials will vary. I will post work in progress in the coming weeks.