Women’s Work: Char Brooks and Annie Waldrop

Release date: August 27, 2007 |

Women’s Work, an examination of female identity by artists Char Brooks and Annie Waldrop, will be presented in Goucher College’s Rosenberg Gallery from Friday, August 27 through Friday, October 12.

This exhibit, which is free and open to the public, can be viewed weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and during scheduled events in Kraushaar Auditorium. An artists’ reception will be held Thursday, September 20 at 5 p.m. Call 410-337-6333 for more information.

By using materials traditionally associated with women to focus on subjects considered to be a woman’s domain, the artists aim to point out the inequities and contradictions of being female.

Playing on the idea that fashion can make women sexier, slimmer, and more youthful, Brooks’ installations include lingerie and corsets that are crafted from unexpected materials such as panty liners and artificial sweeteners.

Brooks’ craftsmanship and choice of materials complement the sly, trenchant message her artwork conveys about notions of feminine beauty. 

Waldrop’s sculptures and mixed-media installations use “found objects” to explore the dark sides of female relationships, domesticity, and nostalgia.

In her piece “Scorched,” irons mounted on a wall each reveal a Victorian photograph of a woman. The repetition of irons gives a sense of domestic drudgery, while the placement of the photographs alludes to the psychological aspect of being burned.

Both Brooks and Waldrop continue a tradition of using personal voices and nontraditional materials to make pointed commentaries about female identity and other social constructs.