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Susan Bradford's picture

Sleep as escape/Dreams to reveal

Submitted by Susan Bradford (guest) on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 5:04pm.

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.

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