a “Well-Kept” woman

What is expected of a female? Questioning femininity and societal standards, acknowledging those that have been disappointed via actions & behavior deemed anywhere from inelegant to vulgar has yielded conflicts. Each photograph attempts to represent the difficulty a woman has as she is expected to uphold a stable foundation in all aspects of her life while maintaining  beatific expressions within a circus of spinning plates. In the exploration of the “put together” stereotype of females I sought to display patriarchal concepts allowing the male subject to wear “my” apron, reflecting the feelings of shame, guilt, and confusion I had within the role he had “over me”. How can women keep it all clean? Is it a woman’s responsibility? Ideals held over the female in any relationship to keep things clean and tidy - including herself are tropes of household items. The subject, located in the same environment, hints at rituals a female takes on throughout the process to clean- juxtaposed by refusing to tidy up after myself in any part of my work...a “well-kept” Woman