Only Honey , 2022
watercolor, ink, and gold leaf on mixed media paper

Only Honey centers on Hollywood’s objectification of women. Marilyn Monroe, who was notoriously branded as a sex object, is centered in the image with a red line over her eyes and golden honey underneath her. This depicts how the “hive” of the film industry confiscated her agency and extracted her talent. The motifs of honey and bees give the piece a surrealist dimension. Bees produce honey and are promptly deprived of their product by humans. This is similar to women in old Hollywood. They made efforts to follow their dreams, but were forced to “smile more” and perform for the men behind the camera, unable to do more than they were told. The simplicity of the piece draws the audience’s attention to Monroe’s inhibited gaze. She is forced to serve the male gaze, storing her talent (honey) in the illustrated honeycombs and trapped in the role she must play. The piece captures what is within Monroe's unconscious as her goals (or dreams) slowly become those of the men.

Exposé par :

UCI Humanities Core

Plus de UCI Humanities Core

Village of the Jester , 2022
colored pencil
UCI Humanities Core
Me , 2022
Acrylic Styrofoam Board
UCI Humanities Core
Soon We'll Have Another , 2022
Physical
UCI Humanities Core
The 8th Eye , 2022
Pencil and Ballpoint Pen on Paper
UCI Humanities Core
Just a Dream , 2022
Video monologue
UCI Humanities Core