Hopelessly Devoted: Women behaving badly

Click to enlarge

15 January 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Women behaving badly

Hopelessly devoted is the new exhibit by up and coming artist Sophie Stone. The work looks at the role of woman in children's stories, bringing the subjects into a context that is more confrontational and questioning.

These stories intended for children have an alarming amount of fear, loneliness and tragedy that occurs within them. Rather than focus on that happy ever after ending, Hopelessly Devoted shows the heroines as what they are; abused, lonely and isolated women.

"I wanted to portray I more realistic version of these women. I am not trying to put them down. These women are treated badly and abused, yet most of them fail to fight back. They are written as damsels in distress, awaiting a hero to save them." Says Stone; "In a way they deserve our pity rather than our admiration."

The familiar heroines of Hopelessly devoted have been ruthlessly placed in a modern suburban environment, to add further despair to their already lamented situations. The modern setting also shows how hollow and demeaning their role is.

Stone notes, "These stories were written in a time when sexist behaviour was the norm, so placing these women as helpless damsels in today's world shows just how weak their role really is."

Click to enlarge

The exhibition boasts 11 large scale full colour works, incorporating photography and painting. It is the first public display of Stone's work, and one that she has been working towards all year. "All my work so far has been as an actor, this will be my debut as an artist; I'm terrified and extremely excited," admits Stone

Hopelessly Devoted will take place in the upstairs foyer, Embassy Theatre,10 Kent Tce, 11th -25th February, Free Entry

ENDS

© Scoop Media