Reclaiming the Muse

In my staged miniature photography series, RECLAIMING THE MUSE, I examine familiar muses from past artworks, stories, and myths, setting them in contemporary scenes to reframe them from passive objects of beauty or scorn to active and powerful heroines.

Working in the genre of staged photography, I create miniature scenes with characters, props and sets that I source, alter, or fabricate from scratch, to then light and photograph. My work is often political. In essence, I create short stories staged as miniature theatrical events to offer a commentary on the power structures prevalent in the world.

In my series, Reclaiming the Muse, I use miniatures to create a veneer of lightheartedness and humor to expose the roles of women as archetypal scapegoats in the old allegories. I reframe historic artworks and stories in modern terms to challenge the dominant doctrine of the patriarchal culture through an intersectional feminist lens. When centering women, historically cast as objects of beauty or scorn, I revitalize the muse with agency. I also challenge narrow views of sexuality which operate to oppress and limit the broad nature of identity, self-expression and attraction.

The power in using miniatures lies in the assumed naiveté and amusement they invoke to first entice the viewer and then to deliver the deeper intent. With a deceptively playful overlay, I aim to skewer the patriarchy that has controlled the narrative for millennia. I explore mythos, gender roles, motherhood, empowerment, and resistance in this series. The viewer will recognize the tales of Leda and the Swan, Susanna and the Elders, and Shakespeare’s Ophelia, but all delivered with a twist.

In my research, time and time again, the women in myths, the Bible, and elsewhere are held responsible for causing both the world’s ills and the failings of men. This includes their own rapes, which are recounted in mythology with shocking frequency, and are typically deemed the woman’s fault, justifying her inevitable punishment.

Although I never depict actual people in my photographs, the human psyche is at the center of my work. I am fascinated by the psychological landscape, our contradictions, and our search for meaning. So many stories, myths and artworks throughout history address these same concerns. I have found much rich source material to inspire my own interpretations for this series.