The purpose of this project is to elevate the awareness of how women’s images have been used in art through the ages from a variety of viewpoints. The art world, like so many others, has been and remains a male dominated field, and therefore many of the images of women in works of art are presented from a male perspective, illustrating personal fantasies and a general lack of understanding with respect to the female experience.  I have compiled art images from both male and female artists and provided dialogue with the aim of increasing awareness about how women’s images have been presented.  This is important because of the significant impact images have on how people view themselves and each other. We believe what we can be based on what we see.  We define our lives around what we see and hear.  We dream and imagine and make plans based on the examples that we are presented with, and we must pay attention to what we feed our souls through our eyes and our ears.  Each segment of this project looks at how women have been presented in eight different categories. They are: Goddess; Temptress; Flora, Fauna and Food; Idyllic and Fragile; Death and Martyrdom; Lust and Voyeurism; Pinned-up, Pinned-Down, and Pain; and Vagina Dentata.  I am hoping for the big take-away here being that you begin to see things through a more enlightened position.  That you begin to look at images presented to you with a curious and open mind, and perhaps develop a healthy recognition that you don’t have to absorb images as your own truth.  You and you alone are responsible for your own truth.

This presentation is made possible by funding from Humanities Guahan, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal CARES Act. The information and opinions presented are not necessarily representations of the views of Humanities Guahan or the National Endowment for the Arts. Due to the graphic nature of some of the artwork presented, this video is not recommended for individuals under the age of 16.