Alissa Biasi
Rosebank College
(SHE IS) DILUTED BY THE BLUEPRINT
Printmaking
Cyanotypes, dry point etching, silkscreen printing
My body of work analyses how women disguise their identities, wearing masks to navigate their world and performing in social interactions. These responses arise due to demands to fit in, control their behaviour and hide their genuine feelings. I have used delicate lines to represent vulnerability and individuality, and bold prints for conformity and external pressure. My intention in my work is to challenge the authenticity of behaviours shaped by gender roles and to communicate how external factors influence identity formation. I encourage audiences to think about the complex balance between self-expression and societal acceptance.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Zhang Huan, Family Tree; Barbra Kruger.
Marker's Commentary
(She is) Diluted by the Blueprint screams for attention. The heavily mediated images, discordant colours, and the chatter and noise generated by the text collectively entice, then entrap the viewer. Upon closer inspection, the symbolic decoding reveals a sophisticated, layered feminist critique that exposes the weight of introspection forced upon women by societal expectations. The work culminates in the donning of armour, a mask synthesising protection, a means to silence the thoughts and doubts faced by women questioning their worth.
The success of this work relies on its visual impact, exemplified by a mastery of material techniques that physically and metaphorically encode its intention. A strong graphic presence is achieved through confident, controlled experimental ghost-like layering of printmaking techniques, including text inclusion and alternative photographic practices. The play of heavily mediated and reproducible portrait images parallels the media's representation of women and conformity, a literal blueprint while the depth of blue in the cyanotypes evokes despair and loss subsuming each female's individual identity. The use of UV light, which renders thoughts invisible to the naked eye, obscures overt commentary, allowing these unrelenting thoughts to reside in the mind regardless of the mask. Overall, the work is compelling in its complex rendering of a universal feminist trope.