His and Hers

Relate/relationship

Roles are inevitable in life.  Some you choose, some are inherited. Some develop after years of give and take in a relationship. The person I have become is so different from what I was 8 years ago. Part of that person compliments the other. Part of her is the antithesis.

His and Hers, continued

Facial Expressions

Scratching the 7 Year Itch

In a long term relationship, it seems like so much is at stake. The time and effort invested has shaped both individuals,  both visibly and psychologically. I often refer to myself as "we," reinforcing the idea that I am, in fact, a unit and not an individual. But then there is the urge to rebel. It's such a silly urge that goes against the very core of a union.  Perhaps it is a little leftover teenage cockiness, or maybe just a bad reaction to something you ate, but sometimes a need for independence creeps in, challenging the stability of that union. The urge to control, or micromanage seems not to be exclusive to managers and executives. The need to keep one another happy can be overwhelming sometimes, while the importance of the individual becomes less of a priority.
This is what my new work examines.

Labels

What does it mean when someone is tied to another someone? How does that change over time? Why does it seem scary to think about how much you change as part of a partnership?

His and Hers

His and Hers, this is why we fight

Thinking about relationships, I am reminded of the care, the effort needed to maintain one. For some reason, there is a lot of cleaning involved. As we go through life, we leave messes for each other...little piles of life-evidence, tell tale signs of productiveness, or laziness. I am working on documenting the differences between his and hers: the piles that can be labeled as such, and the cleaned up version that we both aspire to.

searching for validation

 

Recently my work has switched gears. I am thinking about who I am in terms of the "other half" in a relationship. This piece references the need for validation of my own sexuality, as I am often waiting for this to be justified for me. "I wore my new dress and he didn't even notice." or "Don't you notice anything different about me?" 

I am interested in how this develops. Does anyone else ever feel this way? Tell me how!

Some new thoughts

Happy Labor Day everyone!
Since graduation I have been spending a lot of time working (for the man), making back some of the funds I lost while not working in school. I have been asking myself the obvious questions: What now? What will I work on next? How will I cope with the "out there on your own" factor?

A new idea I want to explore with my work is my relationship to other people, especially people I am close with. The saying goes "you can never see yourself through someone's eyes." Since I like to approach seemingly unanswerable questions, I thought this would be a good place to start. I also really want to put underwear on the nude statues at my local museum. Pictures to follow soon, I hope.

8.29.12

Visit my page! Participate in my project!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Choose-My-Underwear/304909322903817

8.18.12

8.17.12

8.16.12

8.14.12

8.13.12 continued