Janice Whiting Augusta, Georgia www.janicewhiting.com
Three Ages of Women Charcoal, pigment, oil, alkyd on canvas 30 x 39.5 inches 2015
All women in U.S. society are faced with constant borage of messages about beauty and sexuality telling them that in order to be desirable they must emulate the characteristics of both innocence and overt sexuality. This contradictory approach to feminine value is best summarized in what is known as the “Virgin/Whore� dichotomy. This dichotomy is amplified as women age and our society, our daughters and even their contemporaries are quick to point out all the socially defined imperfections of age as if they are ugly scars that make others feel uncomfortable when exposed. All of this ignores the fact that a woman’s sexuality does not disappear at age 30, 50 or 70 and that to be woman is to be beautiful.
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