Photomontage: Image Hijack (Part 2)

February 10, 2023

Photomontage: Image Hijack (Part 2)

Mary's response.

The political issue I chose is breastfeeding in public. This issue is essential because of how we view breastfeeding in the US and its impact on mothers and their children. Maureen Shaw writes: "Today, breasts have become synonymous with sex in American culture. This means that while advertisements and billboards can expose women's breasts, new mothers cannot". I believe any mother has a right to feel safe about breastfeeding outside. Still, because this natural act has been stigmatized and sexualized, there are a lot of instances of mothers being bullied for breastfeeding in public.

The iconic artwork I chose is Madonna Litta, attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci. The Virgin Mary depicted breastfeeding the Christ child, their faces full of contentment and peace - the image of sanctity.

I read several articles on breastfeeding in public (referenced below), and one I used as inspiration was a Facebook post about a woman with a breastfeeding cover over her head. Act of protest against a bully, with humor and grace instead of argument. Her mother's friend posted the photograph on Facebook with her permission, and her post received an overwhelming response from the public.

By combining these two images, I aim to underline the absurdity of the modern sexualization of a natural act - a mother feeding her newborn child. I named this poster: Mary's response. I can see this image used as a campaign to normalize breastfeeding, as a subway poster or online article criticizing society's views on this topic and helping start a conversation about this topic.

Some notes on the process: I have initially used curtain painted by 17th century dutch artist Frans van Mieris, but after edits fabric looked overworked and unnatural. I realized that to pull off such intricate fabric I would need to have more practice first. So I sourced fabric from the painting The Lover by Rene Magritte. I have combined fabric from both lovers faces to create realistic shadows.

Below I included my first attempt: