Project Context

Just want to make clear what my projects about so I have broken it down into this:

The context of my subject area is of a contemporary nature, dealing with issues and representations in today’s society. The investigation through still images will be broken into age categories/stages from young girls to older women. Each category will be a mini-series; the end product will be a series of photographs that connect together through the context.

‘Too Much, Too Young?’

Stage one – Girls aged 3

From as young as 3 years of age little girls are already looking up to women, and through play interpret being young women, often they play with cookers and irons and push babies around in prams. They also like to play dress up wearing Mummy’s shoes, jewellery and make-up.

Stage two – Girls aged 10-14

This part has been completed with a series of six photographs of girls aged between 10-14. The girls are set in children’s environments such as playgrounds but are dressed and have make-up on to make them appear older than there own age.

Stage three – Girls aged 15-17

Girls in their latter teens struggle to fit into society; they are neither adults nor children. It is a time when a girl is still trying to figure out who she is and where she fits into society. The mass media is harsh on teenagers often accusing them of misbehaving, the reality is these girls are not girls and not women and are trying to find their way in society, adhere to peer pressure and understand a more grown up world.

‘Young At Heart’

Stage four – Women in their 20’s & 30’s

Women in their late twenties and thirties often revert back to adolescent tendencies through role-play and dressing up. It is often seen that they dress up on nights out and hen-do’s and go to school reunion style events. Sub-consciously are these women trying to re-live their youth?

Stage five – Women 40+

There are some women who are over the age of forty where the phrase ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ spring to mind! The concept is to capture this with women models of this age to dress inappropriate for their age as they are trying to appear younger. These women are seen wearing short mini skirts, leopard print and showing cleavage which society would interpret as the women trying to be more youthful.