Senior Project
Spitfires

“Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?”

–Glinda, Wizard of Oz (1939)

 

Black-and-white measures of morality are nothing new within the grandiose realms of myth and religion. Although the average person acknowledges nuances of human behavior, mass media often mirrors these uncompromising tendencies. These standards are applied most often to women, much like their mythological and religious counterparts. The initial idea for Spitfires stemmed from research of the artwork Poseidon by Athena Marie Placencia, which led to my discovery of Medusa’s story that contrasts her bad reputation. From there, I became increasingly aware of demonized feminine figures across a variety of mediums and cultures. 

 

For centuries, women have fought a fierce battle against the scrutinizing mass media. Such phenomena can be seen from the hangings of the Salem Witch Trials to petty disses within Britney Spears tabloid articles. Historically, women who upset the status quo are almost always attacked by the public eye, whether verbally or physically. Though women of myth and religion may seem detached from our contemporary lives, their treatment runs parallel to many women’s personal experiences with this phenomenon. Even if someone doesn’t directly experience this cruelty, they may be apprehensive to make waves after witnessing others being scorned. The subjects of this collection originate from Greece, France, Japan, Phoenicia, Egypt, and Russia–each coming from a complex background that was subject to villainization. Their stories offer insight into the ways that individual women have been demonized by their societies across various eras. 

 

With a modern, Vogue magazine-inspired aesthetic and references to pop culture and mythos, the mock-magazine Spitfires brings the harrowing experiences of these ancient figures into the present day. Utilizing the format of classic fashion magazines, notorious for their longstanding exploitation of women, Spitfires aims to flip this mode of communication on its head, framing these hated subjects in a more well-rounded light: human (or human-adjacent) beings with strengths, faults, goals, and lives worth celebrating.