(Un)manly Marriage
Wendi S.
Digital Art, Procreate
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(Un)manly Marriage shatters the standard of a pure, modest wife serving the stoic, controlling man. Coming from a traditional household, I learned that this dynamic can be a choice, but is often framed as the only choice. In response, this piece turns the expectations on its head: The underdressed bride smokes a crude cigarette as she admires herself in the mirror. Tucked under her arm is a rooster — the caricature of patriarchy — frantically trying to escape her grasp and control. Finally, beauty products with traditionalist slogans are left untouched. But a spray bottle named “CAN O’ WORMS” has its lid removed, signifying that we must open the uncomfortable conversation addressing these problematic standards. The satirical artwork calls to expand the roles men and women can choose in their relationships, whether it be steadily traditional or comically unconventional.
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Creativity is when you forgo copying a formula that guarantees success and do whatever you’d like without fear. Exhibit A: I have no idea what criteria to follow or which buzzwords to include, but I trust that someone out there will smile at what I wrote here.
