Vanities 1994 -95

Two Vanities consists of two identical reconstructions of an Art Déco vanity; one bears a monogram that spells out the word ‘fear’, the other ‘envy’. As objects the vanities are mute and inert, the drawers do not open. Nor do the mirrors reflect; they have been replaced by six black and white paintings of hair, close-ups taken from fashion magazines. The work collapses notions of adornment and pleasure as they are played out in the domestic realm.

Vanity looks at ‘expression’ and how colour is used in popular culture to convey meaning. The colours I have used on the frames are shades of red, green, blue, green and yellow recalling for English-speakers anger, sadness, envy and fear. All have negative emotional connotations, as in for instance green with envy. Within the dark coloured frames I have placed black and white paintings of hair, women’s hair, endlessly fetishized in printed media.