Saucy Seaside Postcards

Saucy Seaside Postcards is a thought-provoking artistic endeavor that involves the acquisition and transformation of historical artifacts. Specifically, I have been curating a collection of misogynistic postcards originating from the 1920s to the 1960s, meticulously sourcing these artifacts from antique stores and flea markets. This assemblage of postcards represents a complex historical narrative that merits examination and reinterpretation.

 

To engage with the problematic messages encapsulated within these postcards, I have undertaken the task of reimagining them through the medium of ceramics — diving further into the Craft Movement and the Feminist Art Movement. My process involves the intricate hand-painting of these vintage postcard designs onto two-by-three-inch ceramic slabs. This laborious approach allows me to visually reproduce the original messages and infuse them with new meaning and depth, using the hand of the artist following the Wabi Sabi movement. By recontextualizing these dated depictions, I aim to prompt viewers to contemplate the historical and contemporary implications of the narratives surrounding gender and societal attitudes — thus fostering a dialogue on the evolution of cultural norms. 

 

I am meticulously reimagining a series of postcards, dedicating considerable time to the hand-painting of each accompanying message. This endeavor is driven by my desire to engage in a reflective examination of the impact these overtly sexist comments and accompanying imagery have had on my personal experience as a young woman. This series is rooted in the recognition of the pervasive existence of sexist remarks that have persisted for generations, ultimately necessitating a form of psychological self-preservation through selective disregard. This project seeks to cast a critical light on society's collective indifference to the prevalence of sexism in media and the resultant desensitization to such imagery. It serves as a symbolic representation of the suppression of one's voice in response to offensive comments.