Vee Hughes: Photo series

Ad astra per áspera  

Hide, Vee Hughes 2024

Rise, Vee Hughes, 2024

Show, Vee Hughes, 2024

Tell, Vee Hughes, 2024

Seek, Vee Hughes 2024 

    My photo series focuses on a woman’s response to misogynistic and patriarchal-fueled violence against women. I was inspired by Cindy Sherman for this series, specifically her series Untitled Film Stills. The way that the subjects of her photos have so much power and influence over the photograph inspired me, especially how they tend to have a confrontational look on their face as if the very photo itself is fighting against the patriarchy. This quote inspired me: “Her photographs have always had a strong narrative, an ability to suggest an entire psychology or storyline in a single detail” (Sehgal, 2018). The photos are all taken in my bedroom with the camera aimed slightly upward to my bed centered around my bedroom window. The blinds shift in the images, in some, they are wide open, while in others, they are completely closed but, in any case, they emit a strong bright light in contrast to the dark room around them. I framed myself in this window for the majority of the photos, letting it represent the confines and cages of the patriarchy. Some of these caged feelings come directly from the actions of others, and some are self-inflicted, caused by a trauma response. All of the photos are taken with a long exposure to add to the hazy feeling one gets in the wake of sexual violence. Some photos even give my body a transparent effect where you can see the blinds as if they are under my skin. This perpetuates the feeling of being trapped in the grasp of both society and a specific abuser. As a survivor of domestic violence and sexual abuse at the hands of a past partner; I wanted to communicate the emotions you feel as you process the situation. The series of emotions and thought processes you go through. Some of these reactions expressed in the photos include: depression, self-hypersexualization, anger, denial, submission, and revolt, sometimes feeling more than one at a time. I also made sure that none of my photos catered to the male gaze, even those that depicted hypersexualization and vanity. One quote that I feel represents this is “The female artists’ gaze is shaped by their lived experiences, which are different for women and men.” (Siegal, 202). I feel that this series represents the female gaze or at least my female gaze. I was also inspired by Ana Mendieta and the way that she took her harrowing experiences with misogyny and violence and turned it into art. As an art therapy major, I am always looking for and appreciating ways to push the boundaries of what people accept art to be. “It's about theater. It’s about kind of capturing moments through various forms of documentation.   And she takes all of these things to the world at large that might not be considered fine arts. She turns them into something intelligent, harrowing, and emotional.” (Castillo, 2018).