Girlhood: lost and found

Abstract

Girlhood: Lost and Found explores the experience females face growing up and growing old in a world full of preconceived notions of what it means to be a woman. Lost objects coupled with intimate portraits of the artist and her daughter mirror one another, examining the desires women abandon to conform to unrealistic ideals in our culture, often losing sight of their identities as they maneuver society's stereotypes. The discarded items offer the opportunity to reflect on what unreasonable expectations both the artist and the female collective can also leave behind, providing a chance to rediscover who they were before they learned how they were seen by the world. A group essay included in this publication shares thoughts from a variety of women ranging in age from 13-81 years old, including artist and filmmaker Laurie Simmons, renowned actor and musician Jill Hennessy, 2018 Guggenheim Fellow and educator Rania Matar, founder of wellness platform MWH Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, the artist's daughter and son, Luna and Sergio Riva, and many more.