breathing pictures

press play,
rest on your laurels,
be still,
absorb,
let things unfold.

Throw Like A Girl-tomboy take 2

Does becoming a woman retain the belief in a ‘mimetic relation of gender to sex whereby gender mirrors sex or is restricted by it?’ (J.Butler 1990).

What does it mean to be a woman?

It seems to me, to be inexplicable, when I ask myself the question: What does it mean to be a woman?
And if in accordance to Simone de‘Beauvior;
‘one is not born a woman, but rather, becomes one’
How, does one become one?

What does it mean to be a woman?

What is a woman?
Is there a fixed template on becoming one?
Does becoming a woman differentiate geographically?
Is it culturally constructed?

What does it mean to be a woman?

How do we read, woman?
What are the signs,codes?
Are there signs, codes?
How does one recognise, whether one has become one; or not?


What does it mean to be a woman?

Does one need to have a point of departure, for example; after being born a person, does ones biological and chromosomal arrangement hold sway on whether becoming a woman is a viable option?
Is there an option?
If so, is it viable?

What does it mean to be a woman?

Is woman a construct to fit with a dumbing down phenomena of ‘keeping it simple;' where notions of duality and rigidity exist designed to teach us, for instance; good-bad, right-wrong, right-left, positive-negative, black-white, fat-thin, in-out, up-down, girl-boy, woman-man, feminine-masculine....?
etcetera-etcetera-etcetera!!??

What does it mean to be a woman?

One could argue a point of departure for becoming a woman, is to grow up as a girl.
What does it mean to grow up as a girl?

What does it mean to be a girl?

l a c u n a

Squares of Caledonia

Vida Lahey

E went off to Byron
and was appalled,
and rightly so!
She fled then,
to the nearest, biggest city,
for rejuvenation and found solace
within a temple of art,
because that is what she does.

Contacts

31.1 A treatise on How to Keep Young

THE WOMAN BEAUTIFUL
A TREATISE ON HOW TO KEEP YOUNG By AUGUSTA PRESCOTT
The first fault of the woman who is growing in years is the figure. It grows heavy and becomes the middle-aged figure. She sleeps a little longer in the morning; is a little more tired during the day; eats more than she used to; goes to bed earlier, and is less careful of her appearance.



And this is what happens: She grows fat, her chin doubles; her abdomen creeps up; her belt line is too high and too big; her limbs become awkward; and her figure is bulky. She has passed from youth into middle age, but really there is no excuse for this,-it is simply carelessness and neglect of the charms Nature has given her; it is for the want of supplying her skin and muscles with fresh warm blood by proper and careful exercises-which, if followed out for fifteen minutes twice a day, should keep, restore and insure beauty of face and figure.



The woman who is beginning to look old, and the young woman who wants to keep her good looks, should both learn that youth and beauty depend principally upon eight things, all of which are extremely important. The figure: A woman should be neither too fat nor too thin, and in this connection it may be remarked that flesh is easily controlled. The complexion: Should be smooth and clear. The mouth, includes the care of two rows of shining teeth. The eyes: Should be bright, shaded with good lashes and outlined with nice even brows. The cheeks govern the shape of the face, and should be full and dimpled. The throat should be just slender enough to support the head like a column; a thick, heavy throat is an abomination, and a double chin is a sure sign of age. The hands should be tapering, white, well shaped and crowned with ten rosy nails. The hair, which is woman's crowning glory, should be kept natural, thick and becomingly dressed. We might add other points of beauty, but these are enough for the average woman. For the woman who is in fair form and wishes to remain so, should take the following exercises twice a day, clad in a loose suit for gymnasium work, and once a day before exercising take a tepid bath made brisk with aromatic vinegar.

Secrets of Femininty Revealed

1. Plaster treatment for wrinkles
2. Dip the finger tips in skin food (!)
and massage across the lines.

3. Correct posture for walking; this will give the body poise.

4. Good exercise for stout woman.
5. A severe exercise for strengthening the back.

6. After soaking the finger tips, shape the nails gently.
7. The tired nervous woman is rested by music.

Throw Like a Girl

Aims
I intend to produce a series of images that will explore evolving constructs of femininity and masculinity. I will use codes of colour, shape and content to communicate an aesthetic of simplicity, that in turn address’s the multifarious complexities of gender, sexual identity and related codes of conduct.

Part I: Tomboys
At this stage in my project, I have chosen to look at early indicators and derivatives of the roles we play out within binary structures of masculinity or/and femininity. And for this, I am looking at the tomboy.
Tomboyism generally describes an extended childhood period of masculinity in girls and tends to drop of in adolescence when the construct of femininity, can become more desirable. Fluidity of sexual/gender identity can begin to emerge during adolescence when certainly a heighten sense of self; can escalate to an intense need to ‘fit in’. Thus different identities can be tried on for size.
The tomboy could be viewed as emblematic of innocence, because at this stage in a girl’s life she does not conform to any preconceived ideals of sexual/gender/identity.
Or does she?



Throw Like A Girl
As a girl, whilst walking around Woolies with my Mum, bored and trailing behind her, I used to practice my bow-legged swagger I had mastered by watching Starsky on the telly. My Mum, fully aware of my shenanigans, left me alone to explore and grapple with these notions of gender-bendering. And so, I wore Starsky, if you like, as a loose garment, for some years to come!

Social organisation of gender relations, rest partly on the continued naturalisation of the constructed differences between the sexes. When women enact and own qualities and practices that have been constructed historically for men, they subvert and transgress these socially designated roles and sexed categories. Not only do they separate masculinity from the male viewpoint, but in doing so, indicate that gender is/can be essentially fluid and equal.

Neither gender predominates over the other.

Methodology
Photographing children has meant having to trudge through the area of bureaucracy. Consensual issues and legal ramifications, if lack there-of, have meant drawing up a simple consent form stating that the images may be reproduced. The parents sign this.

Issues in working with young people also brought about a decision to approach the project as a type of collaboration between the subject, parent/s and myself. I have also found that developing a relationship with the subject (young person) by including them in the process and arrangement of the shoot, to be beneficial. I do this by asking them to help me scout for locations. This is a great help in gaining some insight to their character. Ideally I would like to spend more time doing this since it is a significant part of the process that will help me to achieve that sense of ease I am looking for.


Visual artist:
Carolle Scheeman
Cathrine Opie
Hellen Van Meene
Lise Safanti
Diane Arbus