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The Ultimate Performance: A woman in a patriarchal society
By Joelle Sellers
“From the very first photo, this photo shoot is two things. It is saturated and engaging, but simultaneously, it is dark and weary. Colorful photos depict our Entertainer in her element, delighting us, the audience, with her looks, tricks, and poses. However, as we get to know her better, we see beyond this performance. Black and white photos show her finally getting to rest and take off this facade, revealing that she’s not here to just exist as some entertainer for us. Really, she’s a tired woman putting on a performance that we demand through the camera’s gaze.”
- Hannah Hollenbeck
In the words of Simone de Beauvoir, “to be a woman is to perform,” and that’s exactly what this shoot is about. Women are constantly performing in all senses of the word- the way we behave, express ourselves, and react to the world is always being watched and scrutinized. From a young age, women are told to be accommodating, pleasant, and not be “too much.” Then, in order to be seen or recognized in the slightest, you must be absolutely extraordinary, yet humble. This may sound silly, but if you haven’t seen or heard the monologue at the end of the Barbie movie about the different labels and expectations thrust upon women… I recommend you check it out.
These impossible expectations push women to downplay their distress and needs--creating an endless performance, forced to mask pain and struggle for the comfort of others. But when we proudly come together to share stories and experiences (things like this photo shoot!), we can reclaim some agency! Women are powerful, and we are more than pretty things to be looked at--we are the daughters of the witches who could not be burned!
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We must be the ones who will not stay quiet, who will not shrink ourselves to fit into the spaces the world gives us, who will not smile just because someone told us to.
We must make our own spaces, on our own stages, and live exactly how we like.
A
WOMEN
MUST
HAVE
GOOD
STAGE
PRESENCE
TO
BE
CONSIDERED
GOOD
IN
THIS
SOCIETY.
“TO
BE
A
WOMAN
IS
TO
PERFORM.”
​
-Simone de Beauvoir
Credits
Starring: Joelle Sellers
Photography: Nina Corso
Styling: Eavan Amador
Creative Direction: Sol Segura
Hair & makeup: Nina Corso, Joelle Sellers
Second Shooter: Elijah McWilliams
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