"Society conditions young girls to believe that their value lies in their physical beauty, and that they can’t be complete without a man. From the time they're little girls, the princess culture is all around them, and of course the dream of the princess is to win the prince, who will then take care of everything and leave them with nothing more to worry about than being beautiful. That’s not an innocent message to send to girls, and it’s not an easy concept to fight.
"Society’s control of and definition of femininity is an issue I address through my artwork. I use a lot of pink, which is traditionally a very feminine color, and the women in the paintings are aesthetically pleasing, but they are tied. Not with ropes or heavy cords, but softly, with strings or thin paper that shouldn’t have the power to hold them. Their mouths are closed and their expressions neutral. The images are meant to be disturbing to our cultural concept of women as objects. You see the work and sense that something is wrong. You’re uncomfortable, but why? Are the women being empowered? Are they being used? Are they active? Passive? The narrative is not in what you see, but in what you DON'T see: there is no pleasure in their faces, no emotion, no response."
"Society’s control of and definition of femininity is an issue I address through my artwork. I use a lot of pink, which is traditionally a very feminine color, and the women in the paintings are aesthetically pleasing, but they are tied. Not with ropes or heavy cords, but softly, with strings or thin paper that shouldn’t have the power to hold them. Their mouths are closed and their expressions neutral. The images are meant to be disturbing to our cultural concept of women as objects. You see the work and sense that something is wrong. You’re uncomfortable, but why? Are the women being empowered? Are they being used? Are they active? Passive? The narrative is not in what you see, but in what you DON'T see: there is no pleasure in their faces, no emotion, no response."
More of Juan Rojo's work can be found on his WEBSITE.
From the WEBSITE:
Juan Rojo was born in Valladolid, Spain in 1977. He graduated from the University of Salamanca (Spain) with a degree in Fine Arts and he obtained his Masters degree in painting and video at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has exhibited extensively in the USA and Europe and he is currently living in Memphis, Tennessee.
Juan Rojo was born in Valladolid, Spain in 1977. He graduated from the University of Salamanca (Spain) with a degree in Fine Arts and he obtained his Masters degree in painting and video at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has exhibited extensively in the USA and Europe and he is currently living in Memphis, Tennessee.
Juan Rojo, Artist
Website: http://www.juanrojoart.com
Website: http://www.juanrojoart.com
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