A quick one for today... The day turned out to be much busier than expected...
Edit 9/21: I have a little more time today, so I figure I will share the complexity of the simple piece...
Well... through out the day... and just plain 'recently' I have been thinking about feminine symbols throughout my childhood and how they influenced me to be the person I am today.
Growing up in a Mexican-American household I was encouraged to let go of my Hispanic roots and fit into the American mold. Despite this, I grew up playing Loteria, a game (like Bingo) that the card comes from, with my brother. I was always fascinated by the blatant sexism and racism within the game. There were cards like "El Negrito" (The black man, who looked much like an entertainer during the slavery era) and "El Catrin" (The beau, who looked incredibly homosexual).
La Dama, seen here, is full of stereotypes... the color pink, hand bags and flowers, high heels, and a head covering. Her hair is perfectly in place and she sports an hour glass figure.
And yet she is wearing a suit jacket and conservative length skirt... does this signify she is a 'modern woman'? Willing to work the 9-5 and be the provider for her household? Is she giving up being a stay-at-home mom in favor of a career?
The card, to me, questions the stereotype of both the modern woman and the 'traditional' roles instilled in me of what a woman should be and do. We can dawn the color pink while being the head of a board meeting. We can dress professionally and still take the kids to story time at the local library.
I paired the card with one of the major symbols of femininity (to me), the bra because this, like the card, holds strength and weakness from both sides of the board. The bra restricts and supports-- literally and symbolically-- that is to say, because women are the only sex to wear a bra it defines us. A bra forces us to remember we are women when we put it on and take it off. This could be seen as a bad way to remember womanhood (burn the bra, ban the bra, etc) or it could be an empowering badge we bear knowing it separates us from the opposite sex.
I think I have made it clear on which side of the fence I stand, but this does not take away the fact that I find bras and the reasons they are worn absolutely fascinating. Nor does it take away the fact that I am, as with any issue, completely open to having my mind and opinion changed by a decent argument.
By the way, the card used here is an older version-- I believe from the 70s?-- the newer card looks like this: http://www.somethingsowrong.com/features/loteria/cards/03.jpg
My hands are placed in such a way that my fingers form triangles when connected to the card. This is a symbol taken from my tattoo and means "Body"
... again connecting the viewer to form and gender, and forming a bridge/connection between my own body and that ideal version represented in the card.
10 responses
-
Arturo Rubio said (21 Sep 2008):
Loteria! Very clever idea for an image. Nice lighting.
-
Lilea Duran said (21 Sep 2008):
Thank you, gotta love good ol' sunlight :)
-
FALCON LARA OSCAR said (22 Sep 2008):
"Loteria" cards amazing. Great photo and explanations.
-
Martie Last said (18 Oct 2008):
Okay, this is the most interesting commentary I have ever read. I was just on the phone with my mother discussing the sexism portrayed in the TV show "Mad Men." We were patting ourselves on the back about how we've come so far since then. Now I read what you've written here and realize that we are still defined in such limited terms. I like your insights on other aspects of the game, too. Good job here with your "Thinking Woman's" piece!
-
Spectre Photo gave props (20 Oct 2008):
Loved reading the story behind this lovely shot..:)
-
Joanne Taosuwan said (21 Apr 2009):
i used to play this game when i was a kid."LOTERIA!"
-
Marco Martinez said (21 Jun 2009):
I like how one can tell that you are looking away, as if showing your disdain for the stereotype and the expectations places on women, while at the same time you hold the card close to you -- it is placed at the center of your body to represent how hard it is to escape such stereotypes.
The intent and execution of this photo, I believe, are right on the money. Well done. -
Paul Lavallee gave props (22 Jun 2009):
strong entry for the theme
-
Richard Seah gave props (28 Jun 2009):
great shot. very graphic!
-
abel gave props (29 Jun 2009):
Got my vote.
