Yoga Mom

Yoga Mom Sketch from Whitney Warne on Vimeo.

This is a piece I did in collaboration with Allison Pugh, a mother and Yogi from Des Moines, Ia. I am interested in this piece for the interaction between my subjects and myself, the conversation and the imposed gaze that my camera brings to the situation. I asked Alison to perform head stands in her home environment, a feat that takes many years of practice combined with immense physical and mental strength. This piece also speaks to the balance of body as well as the balance of motherhood As my mother always said, and my grandpa before her, "Once you have kids, you always have kids."

Thank you Allison for your hand (stand) in this piece.

What Happened to Sally?

This is a new work, commenting on the overwhelming influence of pink in a young girls life.

Untitled Doll: March 2011 from Whitney Warne on Vimeo.

Woman-Girl-Doll: The Beginnings

Woman-Girl-Doll from Whitney Warne on Vimeo.

Sorry about the quality. It doesn't compress well for Vimeo. I'll figure this out.

Here is the beginnings of an idea. The bare bones of the process and direction. Thoughts I'm ruminating on/around/above and below:

A.) The need to construct and deconstruct ideas of gender/femininity.
B.) Need to MAINTAIN control over performance of gender/femininity.
C.) Traditional vs. Contemporary standards of lady-like behavior.
D.) Standardization of dolls given to little girl. Who plays with dolls and what kind of women do they become. What if the dolls became the women that played with them.
E.) Do you have to rebel to be liberated? Does liberation dictate a change in appearance or only a change in mindset?
F.) The doll moves back and forth between tradition and liberation. Is she struggling? Is this reality? What does she gain through either transformation? What does she loose? Is it important that she is liberated? Is this reality?

Posture Practice

Posturing Rough Draft from Whitney Warne on Vimeo.

This piece is a very rough draft of ideas I'm beginning to work on. I'm interested in ideas of posture and it's relationship to feminine definitions of beauty. In the past, women stood for lengths of time with a book on their head practicing the "art" of standing up straight. Presumable for the lofty goal of getting a husband... and emphasizing boobage. Modern society considers these tactics outdated, perhaps even barbaric. Although the methods may have moved on, the desires and implications have not.

For further exploration of this idea I'll be looking into the trendy practice of yoga. What started out as an underground hippie counter-culture past time (and before that, an ancient asian art practiced by tiny little religious men) has now become a status symbols for fit soccer moms and career women everywhere.

"Where did you get those rockin' biceps? Your ass is so tight, for your age...."
"Well I do yoga 5 times a week. It's better then sleeping, better then eating. I feel whole and centered. I feel like I can conquer the world."

The benefits of yoga are nothing to wiggle your jelly roll at. I've seen the fruitful miracles of many dedicated middle age women and their daughters... but how are those "miracles" the same or different then then patience and tranquility instilled in young girls when they were training to be house wives?

Do a head stand to have excellent posture. Lift your leg over your head for flexibility... and better sex. Hold that strength pose longer, for powerful (slimmer) thighs and weight control. Go out in the world and hold you head high. You do yoga and you'll "turn out well."

Hopscotch Sketches

Hopscotch Sketch from Whitney Warne on Vimeo.

Hopscotch Sketch from Whitney Warne on Vimeo.

Hopscotch: A game of awkward mobility. A game of singular ambition and choices to be made. A maze the only goes forward, unless you get stuck on the sides. An uncomfortable jump between spaces. A negotiation of the next move to be made.

These are video sketches for an evolving idea. My appearance in the video is for stand-in purposes only. I am not costumed or groomed, in fact, I'm straight out of bed on a Sunday morning.

Things that are working for me: The awkwardness of the movement. The grid-like space in a suburban setting. Still working with it, complicating the narrative a bit.