ARTIST STATEMENT
Women are so frequently judged for their bodies, both in everyday life and in the privacy of the bedroom. We are raised with the expectation of serving the male gaze—a gaze which offers both praise and shame. We are constantly subjugated to questioning, “Is this what I’m supposed to look like?” When in reality, we are so much more than a mold to fill. Bodies are how we move through the world in which we experience the width of freedom, while also being the place to return to ourselves, to be at home. It is this contradiction these photos explore: liberation and restriction. They examine the intimate yet confining nature of the body at home by drawing attention to the subject’s most intimate parts. These two pieces explore the part of ourselves we are told to cover and be ashamed of, even in the privacy of our own homes; the place that should be the safest to open ourselves up can also be the most unsafe.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Caroline Bick grew up in Chicago and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art with a focus in photography from the University of Vermont. She documents friends, strangers and life on the street throughout her day-to-day life, striving to transform mundane situations into strange dreamlike scenes that blur the relationship between her and the subject. Specializing in creative portraits using 35 mm film, Caroline often seeks to position herself as a “fly on the wall,” seeing but unseen, in an attempt to capture small, beautiful moments and subtle expressions that people often overlook. Caroline lives in Lakeview and works as a digital restoration and production specialist.
© Caroline Bick