Framework No.8: Slow Honey

For this week’s framework I decided to recreate Henry Moore’s Draped Seated Woman within today’s context. It may be recognized as “a monument to the civil aspirations and social reforms of the post-war period” (Correia, Morgan). What I interpret from the sculpture is a sense of relief: there is a presence of tiredness but also of strength and security. It’s scale and hardness represent these interpretations but the fragility and delicateness create a provoking juxtaposition that I believe illuminates the monument. This dichotomy prevailed for women in the post-war period and I believe is depicted through the sculpture in execution and final form.

My image portrays a similar dichotomy brought about after the major life upheaval of a pandemic. Although we are eager to move forward and recover from the uncertainty of daily life, the instability of our pasts still follow in the shadows as we move forward with caution. We are as strong as we are delicate. I attempted to express this concept by using two lights, one warm and one cool, to cast two shadows of myself. A lingering uncertainty behind and a hopefulness ahead was also experienced by many women in the post-war period.

I certainly struggled with the execution of this photo. I am new to self-portraiture and found it difficult to achieve a focused image with my camera while using a timer to capture myself.

References:

Correia, A., & Morgan, L. (2015, March 01). Draped seated woman 1957–8, cast c.1958–63 by Henry Moore Om, CH. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/henry-moore/henry-moore-om-ch-draped-seated-woman-r1172099