what i want my work to do.

CAP mid-term Eval - Boas S09 - Tess Yinger
Good beginning but I'd like to see you be more ambitious in your work. You have a certain level of comfort with your imagery and the technical aspects: what is it that you want your work to do? B+

a lot of people have been asking me this question lately.
"what are you trying to say?"
"what do you want your work to accomplish?"

these are some of the things that i feel strongly about and have been trying to convey in most of the projects i have been working on this term.

1. the treachery of images. today, the average american sees as many advertisements in one year than people fifty years ago saw in a lifetime. this constant and overwhelming stream of advertisements has lead to the consumerist mentality that is slowly destroying our communities and our planet. the american motto "consume more, save less." even in this shitty economy, people are still being told to buy crap they don't need in order to "shore up profits" and "move the market."
2. feminism. feminism is something that is very important to me, especially feminism in the context of the "artworld."
3. the objectification of people. this works hand in hand with item number one. because of this nations obsession with buying things and making money, people are continually being treated as profit incentives rather than individuals. the needs of the person are interpreted as the needs of the consumer and translated into monetary value.
4. the irony of conservatism and the religious right. a lot of the imagery that i use in my collages is from old illustrated bibles and religious children's books. religion has been one of the main oppressors of women and minorities for centuries. it has given people an excuse to disrespect and demoralize the value systems and even the genetics of others. "because god says so" is an interesting argument to me, and the way that it is misinterpreted and misconstrued by its followers is also fascinating.

i guess that the overarching theme here is the influence and power of objects and imagery on people and their perception of reality.

the dolls that i am making mimic the proportions of barbie and g.i. joe dolls. they are unrealistic representations of the "ideal" and are supposed to make fun of the real thing. would you give your child these dolls as you would a barbie doll? why or why not? is it because the messages conveyed are no longer subliminal but literal? or is it because the dolls themselves are literal human objects? toys for child consumption?

the collages focus on some of the same themes, but with a more 'christian' undertone. you are a good housewife because you obey your husband and you heed his every command. your needs do not matter. your bond to him is in holy matrimony and therefore you must do everything you can to please him. you must be sexual even when you don't want to be. you must be pretty and charming and quiet and submissive; you must be another object for consumption. he will consume you, his friends will consume you, and the people you encounter will treat you as the object that you have become.

are these things not clear? how can i make them more clear? what can i change in my work so that people will understand me?
this is what i want my work to do.