In David Hume’s essay, Moral and Political, he states that, “beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them.” This idea of beauty being subjective to the viewer is not a new one. Yet we, as a society, still instill ideals of what beauty is and how it should be perceived. This history of prescribed standards of beauty, as routine or ritual, has been present in almost every society in existence. Praised cosmetic practices of their time, seemingly harmless, have often been found to cause serious health risks and even result in death. To what lengths will women go? To what lengths will women choose to change or be changed by this set of imposed expectations? Although it is unclear as to whether these extremes have lessened or intensified on the whole over time, the pervasiveness of these ever-changing beauty standards appears to be expanding rapidly throughout the world.
My purpose through this exhibition is to make known these sometimes gruesome and overlooked truths of beauty extremes, to uncover cracks in the foundation of feminine beauty, all in order to awaken viewers to the pain women, willing, put themselves through for societal acceptance and ultimately self worth.
<<< LIGHTS OUT >>>
