SANCTUM
University of Lincoln
BA Fine Art Degree Show
2021
Paige Whitaker
She In Defiance Of Her, 2021
9 minute video
Whitaker’s current project, She: In Defiance of Her, introduces ‘She’ – a performative extension of their feminine identity. Through cathartic video performance, Whitaker channels She as a tool to dismantle their feelings towards living within a gender binary and to reject it entirely. She balances between a seductive and outlandish appearance, challenging the context in which She is performing. Is this a desperate attempt at achieving perfection, or is She learning to function on her own terms?
As an analysis of their feminine identity, Paige Whitaker’s work functions to critique their experiences with the Male Gaze. They tailor lived experiences into work that expresses their feelings towards their identity, experimenting with the power dynamics at play between the artist and audience. Whitaker appeals to the audience’s voyeuristic instincts by subverting the notion of privacy, allowing viewers to reconsider their opinions on the purpose of femininity. By exposing their vulnerabilities to the viewer, they reclaim autonomy and behave freely from the guise of feminine beauty ideals.