Artist Statement | As We Are

ELIZABETH MCBRIDE (b. 2002), Columbia, SC 

I have often wondered about the consequences of growing up in a world that, beginning in childhood, tells women we exist for romantic love and that without it, we are not enough. My current work considers specific childhood motifs and explores how they influence our understanding of romantic and self-love.  

The work I have created in response to these questions takes the form of an installation alluding to the childhood bedroom of a fictional character, Daisy. I draw attention to the role our upbringing plays in future relationships and self-identity by referencing childhood objects, such as fairy tale books, to expose the way seemingly innocuous objects associated with girlhood perpetuate cycles of harm. Incorporating looped video, photographs presented in book form, found objects, and mementos, the intense personal nature of the installation places the viewer into a voyeuristic position as they continue to notice everything within the room. This process brings viewers into a space of remembrance, reflection, and recognition.  

For women who have constantly had their childhood tainted due to systemic covert and overt sexualization, the relationship between their present and past self is often complex and fraught. This space of discomfort as well as nostalgia, emphasizes the emotionally complex nature of growing into yourself as a woman within the confines of a patriarchal system.