Re-Imaging the Past II is an ongoing series, exploring the Art Deco era within New York, specifically Buffalo, in the 1920s and ‘30s. The photo series investigates female-dominated narratives of fictionalized characters going through the chronicles of everyday life during this period. The Art Deco period emitted a magical era of cinema, architecture, fashion, and the “morals of immorality.” I desire to create cinematic imagery from a female gaze that truly questions, examines, and recontextualizes the role of the female within this time period – as well as investigates the unique and individualized non-specific narrative of each imagined character. Often, the cinema of this era portrayed the female as a femme fatale, vain woman, hopeless romantic, helpless, and an inability to control their emotions. These portrayals of women within literature, cinema, and art were predominantly from a male point of view. This series aims to portray these female characters as something more than just a beautiful asset to a male-centric history, but rather a vital, substantial part of this beautiful era.
Through a combination of portraits, still-lives, and cinemagraphs - the viewer is drawn in and encapsulated in this oeuvre of fictionalized, Art Deco-era inspired narratives. The intent is for viewers to want to get behind the facade of these women and ask: who was she? Why is she here? What does she want? The images aim to go beyond a tableau vivant-like picture, and call for the viewer to truly engage with this time-specific narrative.
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