My practice explores feminist themes such as the ‘gaze’ in order to expose the absurdity of the way women are posed in historical artworks. I introduce imagery such as the inclusion of frames and landscape backgrounds to establish the modern female figures within a historical context, while using the absurdity of pose, expressions and modern iconography to reinsert the agency of the female figures. My intention is to subvert the status quo of the male gaze.
Implicating historical paintings as context, I look at shapes and imagery used in renaissance art and pre-Raphaelite works, referencing paintings by prominent artists like Botticelli and Millais. My use of oil paint and the display itself with gilt frames is a suggestion of a typical gallery format to further reference historical context as well as to confront the decorative way women in classical art are portrayed.