Statement of Intent: Climacteric Series
The Climacteric is a metaphorical portrayal of the menopause intended to spark conversation and raise awareness about the topic.
To initiate this dialogue, I first collaborated with women who shared their emotions and experiences associated with this life change. I then tested early work and observed conversations between couples and families. This input, plus my own experiences and research, informs the work and its title.
The series begins by entering the unknown accompanied by a sense of fear. It then depicts a variety of the common emotions experienced including regret, sadness, frustration, weariness as well as physical health struggles such as “brain-fog”. The series ends with a suggestion of future regeneration and a tentative step towards freedom.
My creative choices are intended to provoke and encourage reflection. I place my body in unusual positions and use self-deprecating humour to engage the viewer. I use colour purposefully. Red images stand out at random intervals. They are meant to disrupt, mimicking unexpected and unwelcome hot flushes. Red also echoes blood & the menstrual cycle that gradually stops. Emojis reflect the colour associations shared by my collaborators such as reds for anger and exasperation, green for sickness, purple for the matriarch royally aging. Black and white symbolises a transition from fertile to infertile, while the landscape setting suggests menopause as a (usually) natural life event.
I use emojis, a contemporary digital language of emotion, to increase accessibility particularly for younger viewers. To overcome copyright issues, the emojis are self-made. They are discreet and small, encouraging viewers to get close up to, and involved with the work and in turn, the topic.
The work should be a tool and is therefore presented simply. Images have already been used in information sessions and social media campaigns.
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Hanging Plan
