FEMMES FUTURISTES
I have long observed that far too many women are susceptible to self-doubt, insecurities and inhibitions. With these "Femmes Futuristes" I want to inspire a jettisoning of such limitations, and a transformation of the self, where qualities and attitudes are chosen freely, independent of societal norms and familial pressures.
I began this ongoing series in early 2021, when we had been in quarantine for almost a year, deprived of normal social interaction and of any sense of security. I produce these hand-made photo-collages with the intention that they encourage women to be stronger and more self-determining.
I start with my photographs and snippets of ephemeral printed matter. Selecting bits and pieces, I construct feminine figures whose poses suggest a sense of empowerment and possibility. Next, I situate them in venues where they are free to create their own narratives.
These "Femmes Futuristes" are viewed as if with x-ray vision - their patchwork interiors hinting at what they might have lived, their silhouettes offering clues as to how they have proceeded through time. They model a new energy and the prospect of a brighter future.
I hope we will all move forward with them, piecing together the best fragments of our personal histories and living our lives with a daring authenticity.
Kathryn Dunlevie
2024 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2023 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2024 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2022 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2022 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2022 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2022 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2022 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2022 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 40" x 37.5"
2022 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"
2021 archival pigment print (from a hand-made collage) on wood panel 47" x 33"