This creative project examines identity, autonomy, and social hierarchy by manipulating the traditions and iconography of female figural painting. Female identity and autonomy is often marked by a tense relationship between the self and the body. Socially acceptable self-expression of one's behavior, body, and desires is strictly regulated within a set of often paradoxical parameters that repress abject, 'animal' behaviors. This series of three paintings reacts to this culture of restraint and repression by exposing the body to nature once more, finding catharsis in annihilation and the destruction of boundaries between the Self and the Other. The human body is depicted as a host for animal life cycles, exploring the duality of creating and supporting life while simultaneously being destroyed. Animals that embody socially unacceptable behaviors are brought crashing back into the human form, reuniting the idealized, contrived female figure with an expressive, imperfect nature and sense of self. Hybridized animal-human relationships in the paintings break down the falsely hierarchical distinction between 'humans' and 'animals' that distances and privileges humanity from that which is considered primitive. By releasing the human body to the uncomplicated consumptive and reproductive forces of ‘trash’ animals in these paintings, the work challenges how the worth of existence is socially defined, instead affirming that all life has some inherent value distinct from its transactional worth to society at large. This celebration of the grotesque shakes off repressive social constructs, offering a unique form of catharsis and agency.
In this project, I analyze representative samples from three different fashion brands’ sustainability-related informational materials provided to the public through their websites, annual reports, and clothing tags that promote the company’s environmental initiatives. The three companies were chosen because they each represent global fashion- they are all extremely large, popular, and prevalent brands. These materials are evaluated against three frameworks for identifying deceptive greenwashing claims. I identify instances in which these frameworks are successful in categorizing deceptive claims from these companies as well as instances in which they appear to be vulnerable. To address the vulnerabilities I discover in the three existing frameworks for identifying greenwashing, I propose six new guidelines to be used in conjunction with these frameworks that will help to ensure that consumers can have a more ample toolbox to identify deceptive sustainability claims.
The Garden is a series of seven looks which represent specific flowers. These representations are seen not only in their color ways, but also in their use of textured fabrics, bold silhouettes, and detailed embellishment techniques such as beading and covered buttons. My goal was to embody flowers, not to simply create garments with flowers on them. Instead, these garments ARE flowers. These forms are meant to call back to classic feminine shapes while giving them a modern twist in their asymmetry, fearless lines, and suggestiveness. They are a celebration of women and their connection with the delicate and powerful aspects of nature and their interactions with the human form.