this & that by karen santos

LADY OF THE NIGHT

Having a musical theatre background has resulted in me accumulating random costumes & props such as wigs, fishnets, rubber chickens, goth jewelry etc… I did a pseudo documentary series about this prostitute who has clients with weird character requests. These are scenes before or after she was summoned for tricks. Some weird shit was going on in my life at the moment so I really needed a humorous & emotional outlet, in a way relating to this woman submissive & sad nature. 

I have often imagined what goes through prostitute’s mind as she is dressing up for a night’s work, and wondered what she is seeing in the mirror- since the result is so often “clownish” and grotesque. I also relate this to how sometimes we end up playing these roles that fuck us over anyway. 

Inspirations:  Cindy Sherman, Weegee, Mary Ellen Mark

*Many thanks to Kristen, who is such a brilliant actress & for always “getting it”

Untitled- for now

artist statement:

I wanted to romanticize the idea of man,and focusing on the human attribute of femininity & vulnerability. I used flowers as my background, which reflects the idea of nature, a feminine characteristic, which symbolizes something natural and free and organic, juxtaposing the idea of steal/fence/cage, an industrial man made thing. I wanted my subjects to have their eyes shut, which shows submissiveness to whatever is on the other side of the bars that holds them from being free. I want the viewer to be captivated with the beauty behind the bars and question the fact as to why its even there. Who is shutting who out?

*work in progress