Robbie Steinbach Artwork
Ellen Wagener, Painter
gelatin silver print, 11"x14"
copyright © 1994 Robbie Steinbach | All Rights Reserved
Enid
mixed media, 6" x 10" x 3" (purse, unopened
copyright © 2007 Robbie Steinbach | All Rights Reserved
Winged Woman, Florence
gelatin silver print, 14"x11"
copyright © 2007 Robbie Steinbach | All Rights Reserved
Perfect Womanhood—Panos Series
photo transfer on fabric, 15"x15"
copyright © 2007 Robbie Steinbach | All Rights Reserved
My most recent work is a 9'x6' quilt made up of photographic images and text transferred to fabric. I came across a book entitled, Perfect Womanhood for Maidens-Wives-Mothers: A Book Giving Full Information on All the Mysterious and Complex Matters Pertaining to Women, written in 1908 by Dr. Mary R. Melendy. As I read, I found that the good doctor was quite forward-thinking for her time. She reinforced some feminine roles of that era, but she also advised throwing away corsets, ridiculed the starving of oneself, and advocated education for women. Melendy firmly said, "We may anticipate, with all certainty, improvement in woman's status."
I began excerpting quotes from Melendy's book and juxtaposing them with images of women. Some were antique photographs of women taken in the late 1800's-early 1900's. I wondered—who were these women, what were their lives like? The other images were ripped from the pages of current magazines—Cosmo, Allure, Rolling Stone. The "perfect," emaciated women from the ads and articles—who are they, what are their lives like? What has changed for women, what has not? The quilt questions, with gentle humor, past and present definitions of "ideal femalehood."
The idea for the related panos series came from art created by prisoners in Southwestern jails. On handkerchiefs (panos), they draw images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, low-rider cars, cartoon characters, and often, voluptuous pin-up girls. My handkerchiefs, with text from the Perfect Womanhood book and images of women past and present, are tongue-in-cheek responses to those pin-ups. In my work, I continue to explore representation of and expectations about women in our society.
Debra Bahns
silver print, 11"x14"
copyright © 1987 Robbie Steinbach | All Rights Reserved