Like Miss Havisham in Charles Dicken's 1860 novel Great Expectations, the figure in this series is repressed by the expectations placed upon her by traditional society: to wed, to reproduce, and to affiliate with culturally-acceptable organizations. Her contorted body is compressed into the bottom third of each compositional plane in an attempt to protect herself from these expectations.
The series was developed as a project in Design Studio, a course in my MFA program in Visual Communication and Design at Jacksonville State University. The copy, in the top, right corner of each panel, is an excerpt from the novel describing aspects of Havisham. The type is set in "Bodoni" from the late 18th century. The use of justified margins further underscores the repression experienced by Havisham. The red photographic images underscore the ideas of the novel. They are stylized as Chinese "chops" and are hand-printed from carved blocks of dense foam.
The scrolls are designed to be presented, then put away, similar to the practice of Japanese scrolls, which were hung during tea ceremonies then stowed away. This aspect of performance also symbolizes the Southern American female's role of "presentation" to society in the form of debutante balls and beauty pageants.
Dimensions: Each scroll is 24"w x 72"h.
Photography: Natasha Day
Software: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
Inkjet-printed on Epson Presentation paper
Edition of 3
Temporary installation view