Digital Research File

This is my digital research file for my university brief titled ‘surrealism’, in accordance with ‘Display Copy magazine’. We were tasked with  creating journalism and imagery results that would align with our personal understanding of Display’s visual identity. This brief also revolved around a theme of surrealism, symbiotically encouraging us to research how and why myths and legends inspire creatives globally, stimulating us to tap into a new source of personal creativity while working around a set industry brief. Curating my response to this brief around the time of Roe V Wade’s overturning, I took a political and educational approach to this brief titled, ‘The Happy Housewife, The Biggest Myth’, mocking the lack of change in women’s ownership over their bodies. This motion felt dystopian and reminded me of imagery and society back in the 20th century. After WW2, men curated the propaganda of the perfect housewife to manipulate women out of the work force pending the man’s return home from war. This resurgence of male dominance and control today is what inspired the female community driven campaign, ‘The Happy Housewife’. It is important to remember that this is not a problem that began with Roe V Wade nor one that is only an issue of the west, this is much more of a dangerous poignant issue in other parts of the world. Globally, women are expected to smile at their own expense to appease the men around them and there is a female community of understanding each other in that solidarity, fuelling the inspiration for this campaign and photographical result.