Beginning at a very young age, children are exposed to a wide array of imagery and ideas which shape cultural views regarding what is deemed acceptable behavior. My work encourages the viewer to consider the implications of being a woman in a society in which femininity is defined by a set of often contradictory standards, where hypocrisy and stereotypes abound. As a young single mother who was brought up in an upper socioeconomic class, I have become increasingly aware of the stigma placed upon me. My recent work deeply explores the meaning and social consequences of my sexuality, themes which continually inform my process. Visual references range from popular culture to pornography, childhood rhymes to dumb blonde jokes. There is a consistent dichotomy between the opposing ideas of social expectation versus social reality, one against the other. The juxtaposition of these different elements creates a dialogue that asks questions rather than imposes answers. The work simultaneously provides both social commentary and an autobiographical account of my experience as "the other" within various factions of our culture.

Brooke Holloway

2009