Women's Work

Ink and watercolor on paper

2022

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This new body of work examines the hierarchy of value within the art world. I relate the invisible labor often performed by artists to that of (primarily) women laboring in the home, and taking care of children. Upon researching art sales, I became interested in the art world's acknowledged rules and more arbitrary practices. For example, paintings are generally regarded as more valuable than photographs, and it’s the brushstrokes -- or the artist’s hand -- that adds singular value. Scarcity, as a key concept of economics, sets the price of a finished product above most other contributing factors.

 

Applying this thinking to my own work, I created unique brushes in photoshop and began digitally 'painting in' my photographs, using only the image itself as the canvas. The result, when printed on paper, has the effect of an original painting. After completing the digital work, I create a print on watercolor paper and add painted media by hand, further subverting the traditional photographic process. I chose domestic scenes as the subject matter for this series, having recently transitioned from the workforce to managing household responsibilities. I had a fresh perspective on the continuing disparity between a woman's very real 'job' in the home, and the type of labor considered worthy of recognition. 

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