CHERYL GRYTA​​​​​​​

The history of women is still being recovered. Men recorded their own achievements and stories throughout time, but not all of the accomplishments of women. We were responsible for passing down our own stories orally. Some of these narratives got degraded with each passing until they were lost completely.

 

Certain items are loaded with connotations. Red lipstick can symbolize seduction, sex, or passion. A red apple may immediately make one think of a teacher while pointe shoes are a prominent possession of a ballerina. These objects, in themselves, tell a story of their owner or user. Other items can cause one to infer personality traits, their social and economic status or history.

 

I’m exploring the various roles women have taken on throughout recorded history. By staging carefully selected objects together, I am representing women by their possessions and the connotations that come along with them. By placing the still life on a black background, the focus is strictly on the objects. These stereotypes and roles are ones we are familiar with and may have taken on at some point. However, these still lifes are not representative of who women actually are and by making assumptions, the viewer is reinforcing the stereotypes I am presenting. They tell only a small portion of the story, but one that women can relate to.