My Adornment

Exploring the contradictions of body adornment and femininity. Women are often encouraged if not required to decorate their bodies through makeup, jewelry, fashion but when that adornment becomes permanent it is seen as being in conflict with their femininity. These photographs, shot on 8x10 film with a large format camera capture a defiant refusal to abide that contradiction. The women pictured all are both sharing their body art while simultaneously possessing the poise and dignity that we ask of women, showing that these things are only in conflict with each other in the minds of those that seek to control them.