Morgan Ford Willingham
Defy, 201611 x 8½" Archival pigment print8¾ x 6½" Image size
Edition of 22
Each print is editioned and signed by the artist.
About the Series
Beautify is an on-going series explores how natural beauty is masked by cosmetics that women use every day, and how the language of advertising is absorbed into the subconscious, where it constantly influences what women buy and how they perceive themselves. The text in this work is often appropriated from advertising slogans found in popular women’s magazines, and is sometimes difficult to read, signifying how the linguistics of advertising subconsciously attempts to persuade women to buy cosmetic products that alter their physical appearance. The repetition of phrases throughout the work alludes to the repetitive nature of cosmetic rituals many women partake in daily.
In the newest phase of this series, the photographs reference the symbolism of the female, Renaissance portrait. The portraits, often commissioned by a father or spouse, represented, not the physical beauty of its sitter but the wealth and stature of the commissioner. The self-portrait is used to investigate the various experiences of using cosmetics to commodify beauty, like the connection between the alteration of physical appearance to achieve societal acceptance.The series consists of photographic, mixed media works, including metallic c-prints and an installation of masks formed from fabric and thread. The use of material symbolizes the application of various cosmetic products on the skin, the way in which advertising is absorbed by the subconscious, and the choice individuals make in how they reveal or conceal themselves.
Artist Bio
Morgan Ford Willingham is a photographic artist and educator. She received an MFA in photography with a minor intermedia from Texas Woman’s University. Morgan has pursued passions in academia and art making over the past 14 years. Her work explores pop culture, advertising, and societal norms to better understand the influence on women’s identity and self-image, using various mediums, including photography, mixed-media, book arts, and installation. Her work has been widely exhibited, including Humble Arts Gallery in NYC, Filter Photo in Chicago, and Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, OH. She is currently Assistant Professor of Photography at Baylor University in Texas.