Women Performing
Scenographics, Gender and Photography
(2024)
A practice research project exploring how the materiality of theatrical costumes and props impacts the performance of femininity. How does a leather jacket or a silk dress compared to a fur hat influence the way you move, sit, talk and ‘perform’? Through a series of photoshoots with 50 different female-identifying subjects whom I prompted to create a character of their choice, I sought to engage in a dialogue about femininit(ies) and the female gaze, and to discover a multiplicity of identities rather than one fixed idea of gender.
Costume has agency. Bodies have agency.
All photographs are titled by the names the performers gave to their characters.
Fig.1: Betty
Fig.2: Winnie
Fig.3: Josephine (1)
Fig.4: Paloma
Fig.5: Doll
Fig.6: Gravitas (1)
Fig.7: Space Queen
Fig.8: Miss. Lan
Fig.9: Kajal (1)
Fig.10: Cassandra
Fig.11: Felicity
Fig.12: Peri
Fig.13: Flower Child
Fig.14: Witchy Lover
Fig.15: Roxanne
Fig.16: Girlie Pop Femme (1)
Fig.17: Girlie Pop Femme (2)
Fig.18: Girlie Pop Femme (3)
Fig.19: Big Mel (1)
Fig.20: Hank The Bodybuilder
Fig.21: Dulce Dama
Fig.22: Bee
Fig.23: Bookworm
Fig.24: Kajal (2)
Fig.25: Josephine (2)
Fig.26: Jean
Fig.27: Anastasia
Fig.28: Bailarina Flamenca
Fig.29: Gravitas (2)
Fig.30: Stella (1)
Fig.31: Ra
Fig.32: Ganymede (1)
Fig.33: Ophelia
Fig.34: Rui
Fig.35: Rosalyn
Fig.36: Paige Betterton (1)
Fig. 37: Octopus
Fig.38: Picasso
Fig.39: Coralia
Fig.40: Katherina - Space Girl (1)
Fig.41: Bronald (1)
Fig.42: L
Fig.43: Blair Baxter, 50's Hollywood Starlet!
Fig.44: Silver Siren
Fig.45: Valerie
Fig.46: Blue Love
Fig.47: Kai
Fig.48: Ariel
Fig.49: Stella (2)
Fig.50: Katherina - Space Girl (2)
Fig.51: Romero
Fig.52: Melon Power
Fig.53: Melon Power
Fig.54: Melon Power
Fig.55: Regency Rock
Fig.56: Princess-cup-of-tea
Fig.57: Limp Bizkit Black Elf
Fig.58: Paige Betterton (2)
Fig.59: Patagonia
Fig.60: Bronald (2)
Fig.61: Ignorance is a songbird
Fig.62: Ganymede (2)
Fig.63: Lady of The Sea
Fig.64: Big Mel (2)
Fig.65: Sable
Fig.66: Blue Monday
Fig.67: Single Mother
Fig.68: Discorella
Fig.69: Woodland Witch
Fig.70: Greek Goddess
Fig.71: Bebe