finalprop_bellaf

SEQUENTIAL RECUT - Project Proposal - Bella Farls

My plan is to make a lamp that criticizes the American tradi- tion of beauty pageants. Historically, men have always objecti- fied women for their looks and their bodies rather than taking women’s thoughts and ideas seriously. My project highlights what women (and everybody) should be valued for, their brains. It would be about 3 feet tall and resemble the “ideal female body” as if she was a contestant in a beauty pageant. She would not have any distinctive features (no facial features, hair, skin color, or clothing). Instead, the brain is going to be the detailed part of her/the lamp. The skull is going to be cut open to reveal her brain, which is where the light bulb is going to be peeking out of. I want to make this with slightly gruesome imagery be- cause so many women are physically hurt and attacked by men. I am going to make the entire lamp out of paper mache and sew a silk ‘Miss USA’ sash. It will be an eggshell color MISS USA

The lamp in scale of a room. Color and shape reference/ inspiration pictures

BEAUTY PAGENTS WHAT ARE THEY REALLY LOOKING AT? WHAT SHOULD THEY BE LOOKING AT? Beauty pagents are an inherently American tradition, although there are many around the world and actaully originated in Ancient Greece. According to legend, a poor mortal goatherd, Alexandros (Paris), was called upon to settle a dispute among the god- desses. Who was the most beautiful: Hera (Juno), Aprhodite (Venus), or Athena (Minerva)? All three goddesses offered bribes: according to the writer Apollodorus, “Hera said that if she were preferred to all women, she would give him the kingdom over all men; and Athena promised victory in war, and Aphrodite the hand of Helen.” When Paris selected Aphrodite in exchange for getting Helen of Troy, the most beautiful mortal of the time, he inadvertently started the Trojan War. The first beauty contest as we think of them today was created in the 1850s by the famous Phineas T. Barnum. The ‘handsomest’ lady would win a dowry if she was single, and if she was married a diamond tiara. Then Barnum altered the contest to have women in photographs and have the public vote on which was the most beautiful. In 1921, a beach resort in New Jersey held the first Miss America pagent in an attempt to get tour- ists to extend their stay past labor day. The contestants were told they had to be both ‘youthful and wholesome.’ Thousands of people showed up to see a handful of young women compete in this bathing suit parade. Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C. won. She was wrapped in the American flag as the crowd and judges cheered her on. Cosmetics were often frowned upon as beauty was supposed to be ‘natural’ during this time. How- ever, as urban life expanded and became more contemporary, more and more women started wear- ing makeup to enhance their features. For beauty pagents today, such as Miss Universe, the judges ask the contestants a few questions. For example ‘Who is your role model?’ or ‘What would you change about the world?’ These Source: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/ americanexperience/features/missamer- ica-beauty-pageant-origins-and-culture/