Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Home › Feingold Gallery: Beauty Sleep ›

Reply to comment

Susan Bradford's picture

Sleep as escape/Dreams to reveal

Submitted by Susan Bradford (guest) on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 6:04pm.

I found myself searching this composition much like one puzzles a gestalt figure. Is the girl dreaming her "hidden" disabilities into our consciousness to illustrate that the impact of her hidden disability is as significant as those floating above? Or is the girl using sleep as a means to hide from a prominent disability, like those above, that she might have and we cannot see?

I also keep thinking about the term "beauty sleep" and the young figure of the girl. The photographs floating above her face are usually associate with carnies and traveling shows. Individuals with unique disabilities were used to shock and entertain the general public. The scattered images above the girl could be a reference to body dysmorphic syndrome which distorts a person's perception of their physical body.

Today society frowns on the use of "freak shows" as entertainment, but promotes the use of the female body in consumer culture.

Reply

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
3 + 12 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

Scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.

Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)

What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio