My project takes a reverse look at how the world works. It begins with the concept of a geode. Things might look one way on the outside but are actually radically different on the inside. I am going to do this within the scope of female friendships and the movie Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper. The media has often portrayed female friendships as toxic. They are shown as a means to an end: backstabbing each other at the first sign of an opportunity to succeed in the patriarchy. They are seen as toxic, ugly, and rough friendships, much like the outside of a geode.
In Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, the plot line appears to be set up for another suppressing patriarchal scenario that would cause a toxic female friendship. The princess is supposed to marry a prince to save her kingdom, but she wants to marry her lower class tutor who she has been in love with for years. A pauper who looked just like the princess was trapped working for someone as she paid off the debt her parents passed onto her. This story could easily have used the budding friendship between the princess and the pauper to create an argument narrative of who marries who, but instead they allow the two women to help one another out in a supportive way. The two women celebrate what makes them similar instead of using their differences to drive them apart.
My artists book takes a look at how female friendships are like geodes: they may seem catty and rough on the outside, but are actually beautiful relationships. This is within the scope of a VHS tape, much like how the story was originally viewed. I hope to show that when it comes to women, the media is not always correct in what they portray. Sometimes you need to look beyond what is shown to see the real beauty in friendships and in yourself, just like a geode.
To view the digital content of “Geodes: On Female Friendships,” click on this hyperlink.