They Call Her Daisy

Artist

Elizabeth McBride, Rollins CollegeFollow

Graduation Date

2024

Preview

Date of Exhibition

4-12-2024

Title of Exhibition

As We Are

Artist Statement

I have often wondered about the consequences of growing up in a world that, beginning in childhood, tells women we exist for romantic love and that without it, we are not enough. My current work considers specific childhood motifs and explores how they influence our understanding of romantic and self-love.

The work I have created in response to these questions takes the form of an installation alluding to the childhood bedroom of a fictional character, Daisy. I draw attention to the role our upbringing plays in future relationships and self-identity by referencing childhood objects, such as fairy tale books, to expose the way seemingly innocuous objects associated with girlhood perpetuate cycles of harm. Incorporating looped video, photographs presented in book form, found objects, and mementos, the intense personal nature of the installation places the viewer into a voyeuristic position as they continue to notice everything within the room. This process brings viewers into a space of remembrance, reflection, and recognition.

For women who have constantly had their childhood tainted due to systemic covert and overt sexualization, the relationship between their present and past self is often complex and fraught. This space of discomfort as well as nostalgia, emphasizes the emotionally complex nature of growing into yourself as a woman within the confines of a patriarchal system.

Type of Work

Other

Dimensions

Site-specific installation

Medium

Multimedia installation

Date of Online Publication

5-23-2024

Rights

Copyright 2024, Elizabeth McBride. Reproduced with permission. The artists and/or collaborators who contribute to the Rollins College Student Art Gallery and Archive retain the rights to their own works. In making these collection materials available, Rollins College does not grant permission to reproduce or redistribute them, in part or in full. The College does not own the copyright to any of the materials, cannot grant any requests for permission to reproduce them, and will forward reproduction requests to the artists and/or collaborators.