Final Essay

This semester I have worked on developing a strong concept and have focused on gender stereotypes. Stereotypes plague all societies and are taught by culture, which provides a set of rules to live our lives by. Culture gives guidelines that teach us how to act, how to look, and how to think. Anything that does not conform to these inflexible rules is considered "not normal" and is condemned by society. I am interested in these rules that brainwash us as soon as we enter the world. In our culture, colors are often assigned to us as we are born, girls receive pink beanies at the hospital and boys receive "baby blue." This is the beginning of a life-long exposure to stereotypes and the pressure to conform. The roots of gender stereotypes emerged early on in human evolution. There has been a sexual division of labor in the beginning stages of evolution. I understand that humans are sexual dimorphic, meaning body size varies between males and females. Therefore, one gender may physically be better suited for a particular job. However, I do not agree that a person is not capable of certain job based on their gender. For example, men commonly occupy jobs that require strength because males generally have larger bodies and are stronger, but I do not believe that a woman is not capable of doing just as well as a man. I believe the best work I produced this semester is my second steel dress. It addresses gender stereotypes and forms a relationship between aspects that are cultural recognized as either male or female. The form, a corset and hoop skirt set is recognized as feminine, while the material, formed steel is recognized to be masculine. I chose a hoop skirt and corset with a bustle to reference the 18th century, indicating that stereotypes are not something new. By leaving the corset bare, with no sleeves, a fashion-don't in the 18th century, the piece references present time and suggests that stereotypes continue. I chose to rust the surface of the steel to give a rough and tough appearance, characteristics that males are expected to uphold. The feedback from other students at a critique for this dress was very beneficial. The dress transformed greatly from its original design. I am happy with the way the dress turned out and agreed with many of the suggestions given to me by classmates. The response to the dress was much better after I made changes to the dress. Critiques also help me learn how to better explain the concept behind my work. Thinking about the concept and actually being able to communicate are very different and critiques enable me to work on better communication. Critiques are good learning experiences that allow me to further develop my concept. Goals for next semester include continuing my "Steel Heels" series. The first of the series, "Steel-toed Stilettos," serves as a model for me to further expand the form and concept. This series too deals with gender stereotypes, combining a form that is cultural known as feminine, the stiletto, and a material that is known to be masculine, steel. I am interested in incorporating photography by taking the series of heels to work cites to document female workers wearing them. I also plan to design and fabricate another dress form. The most inspiring artist have encountered so far is sculptor Cal Lane. She also works with steel and uses metal fabrication techniques. Often her work deals with creating relationships between opposing concepts. She cuts intricate doily-like patterns into industrial steel objects, creating a relationship between domestic and industry, delicate and strong, and feminine and masculine. She works to reach a balance between the opposites to create a harmonious work of art. During this semester I visited art shows at the Dowd Gallery, where I attended the Steven Barbash Exhibition and the "Girl" Show. I found the "Girl" show interesting and relevant to the concept I am developing. I attended Tara Evan's BFA Thesis Show at the Cortland Corset Factory. I have also visited the Johnson Museum at Cornell University with Professor Paul Parks for our Far Eastern Art History class. On this visit I noted the artists of works that I enjoyed and would like to further research.