Second Shift Transference
Faculty Mentor Name
Merrill Schleier
Faculty Mentor Department
Visual Arts
Abstract/Artist Statement
This series of color, digital photographs of still life objects is a narrative that expresses the historical and current connection that women have with the kitchen. For centuries, women have assumed and often struggled with their domestic roles as homemakers and primary nurturers. My intent with these photographs is not to convey these responsibilities as a burden, but to simply recognize their underlying presence as women go about their lives. I want this series to express the many sides of the inherited connection women have with household duties, and the various roles outside the home, including mother, student, and worker. The book Mechanical Brides by Ellen Lupton was the inspiration for this body of work. She cites the research of Arlie Hochschild who showed that working, “women still were doing most of the housework, a burden assumed during the ‘second shift’ following a day of paid labor” (Lupton 18). Hochschild’s findings resonated with me because I have struggled with my own “second shift” since my son was born.I also took formal inspiration from artist John Fredrick Peto, whose paintings included subject matter such as cryptic papers, broken items, and personal objects, which are both symbolic and autobiographical. In accord with Peto, I want my photographs to tell a story. To convey my struggle with balancing the different roles that I play as a woman, I deliberately place items such as broken eggs and smashed potatoes into my composition to create a sense of tension.
Location
Reynolds Art Gallery
Start Date
21-4-2011 6:00 PM
End Date
21-4-2011 9:00 PM
Second Shift Transference
Reynolds Art Gallery
This series of color, digital photographs of still life objects is a narrative that expresses the historical and current connection that women have with the kitchen. For centuries, women have assumed and often struggled with their domestic roles as homemakers and primary nurturers. My intent with these photographs is not to convey these responsibilities as a burden, but to simply recognize their underlying presence as women go about their lives. I want this series to express the many sides of the inherited connection women have with household duties, and the various roles outside the home, including mother, student, and worker. The book Mechanical Brides by Ellen Lupton was the inspiration for this body of work. She cites the research of Arlie Hochschild who showed that working, “women still were doing most of the housework, a burden assumed during the ‘second shift’ following a day of paid labor” (Lupton 18). Hochschild’s findings resonated with me because I have struggled with my own “second shift” since my son was born.I also took formal inspiration from artist John Fredrick Peto, whose paintings included subject matter such as cryptic papers, broken items, and personal objects, which are both symbolic and autobiographical. In accord with Peto, I want my photographs to tell a story. To convey my struggle with balancing the different roles that I play as a woman, I deliberately place items such as broken eggs and smashed potatoes into my composition to create a sense of tension.