second look

Margareta Atwood said, "You are a woman with a man inside, watching a woman. You are your own voyeur."

Second Look is an attempt at offering a counter-narrative to the historically dominant male gaze in visual representation. Simultaneously, it asks whether visual art can ever truly detach itself from the male gaze, or whether women will always view themselves, and other women through a male lens.

By decentering the viewer’s pleasure, by reclaiming the act of looking and of being watched, and by making this relationship a reciprocal one, this project strives to present an authentic representation of female subjects that extends beyond objectification. My chosen medium — the cyanotype — honours Anna Atkins, author of the first photobook.

Created for the CEAD Works Show at the National College of Art and Design, July 2023

Winner of the Photography and Digital Imaging Award