How we would represent politicians if we lived in a matriarchal society that celebrated gender and identity. How does gender and identity intersect with art? I was inspired by the work of Judy Chicago. She had a series where she embroidered napkins with questions like “what if women ruled the world?” and “would God be female?”.
This inspired me to think about how women and non-binary people would be represented in art if women did rule the world.
I chose to do presidential portraits because I wanted my work to be subversive and we have never had a female president in the US, so I thought it would be a fitting project. Additionally, the portraits we have of female politicians copy the portraits of male politicians. This is because, across the globe, many people agree that a politician shouldn’t look too feminine. Therefore, femininity or any expression of identity is not widely accepted. I wanted to do this topic because I wanted the opportunity to be personally creative with my project and photography is a hobby of mine. Also, as an aspiring filmmaker and photographer, I am always curious about how identity intersects with the visual arts.
My models are Carina Grande, Xavi Campbell, and Audrey Krishnadasan.
Occidental College is a partner of the ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women’s Equality.
Connect and Follow Us
Twitter: @4womensequality and @eracoalition
Instagram: @fundforwomensequality and @eracoalition
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fundforwomensequality
Resources:
Video on the ERA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-s61h1FH2E&t=1s
History of the ERA: https://www.eracoalition.org/the-amendment
We are the Fund for Women’s Equality: https://youtu.be/8ogt45BN_SY
