Digital Print

 

2014

 

Many young women attribute their self-worth by their body shape, and the idea is that one can never be skinny enough. This is a strong trend in high fashion catwalk shows, media, magazine and TV shows, where the models are nearly as skinny as skeletons. These representations are highly influential is causing young women to obtain the same kind of body shape as what is required. As a result, young women may starve themselves and work out excessively to obtain skinny body shape; as they think it is the only way to be pretty. Using every method to lose weight, some of them may get anorexia, which is essentially a form of slow suicide.

 

My project is based on vintage VOGUE covers from the 1940s- 1970s, changing body shape of models through the decades, where Photoshop was not invested back then and no digital alteration was performed on the models, so that it kept the naturally body shape. VOGUE represents a socially constructed idea of beauty. Taking cover shoot for a skeleton on VOGUE, which being a cover girl for VOGUE is the dream of many young women, however, in my photographs, the skeleton represents death. If then women continue to believe that being skinny is the only way to be pretty. Is being skinny the only way to be pretty? Also, my project was inspired by Kalen Hollomon’s recently project, VogueInstaFashion, which he imitated the old content photos from VOGUE.

 

­­In my project, I am reshooting those vintage VOGUE covers, but I am using a real skeleton instead of human models. Since I am using skeleton to be the representation of dead, through the way I present the works, I want to use the box frames to make the magazines look like specimens. At the same time, by using the mirror to be a cover of Vogue, I am reminding the audience to look at and appreciate themselves. The reflection in the mirror may be distorted by socially constructed ideas of beauty. So, it is a medium that connects them to the artwork.