Morgan Ford Willingham

In each of these pieces, different women act out beauty rituals ingrained in American culture with products that are sold through popular women's magazine advertisements. The text is difficult to read unless the viewer approaches the piece to investigate. This signifies how the linguistics of advertising, often, subconsciously attempts to persuade women to buy these products. The repetition of phrases throughout each image alludes to the repetitive nature of the rituals many women partake in daily.

It is intended that the viewer will experience a sense of familiarity among the images of women practicing beauty rituals through the use of the products depicted and the advertising text that is repeated. This body of work consists of black and white, photographic images with appropriated text carved into wax that is painted onto the surface.

This book is a representation of personal struggles growing up with the bombardment of images in magazine, and one way in which they were dealt with was to hide them away in the back of my mind.

This book symbolizes the idolization of products in American culture, which is evident, in this case, by the numerous advertisements selling lipstick to women in order to "achieve" beauty through modification or enhancement.