Dear WOMAN

I’m reaching out to you because I would love your participation in a portrait drawing series I am doing. I am drawing portraits based on photos of women distorting their own faces and holding signs which invite dialogue. The series stems from a realistic large-scale graphite self portrait I drew 12 years ago on this very topic. I wrapped my head with a bag of rubber bands and made a 3ft realistic drawing. Within the last weeks, that portrait and the reasons behind it resurfaced in my mind….

Molly B in New Orleans, LA 1/20/17 

Molly B in New Orleans, LA 1/20/17 

Mission: To create space for every self-identified woman to present objective facts about who she is and ask open-ended questions as a first step in understanding the crises our society faces today so that we may move forward in dialogue and change.

How to Participate:

1. Distort your face in real life (wear rubber bands, use your hands, etc)

2. If you wish, hold a sign with one of the sign phrases listed below (it can be just a piece of paper)

3. Email me 2 pics of you - distorted pic & normal pic - to sarahconarro@gmail.com

4. If you want to, post your pic & tag #undistortedvoice on social media

 

Sign Phrases [**more can be used than just these]:

  • Power doesn’t make someone right

  • Let's have a conversation

  • Would you prefer to make decisions about your own ____? (body/being/etc)

If you know any self-identified women who would be interested in participating in this project, please forward this page to them. Also, there is more to come, but if in the meantime you have any questions, please ask away.

Thank you so much,

Sarah

**Please email me if you have a sign phrase that fits the touchstones listed below. please email me if you have thoughts on expanding this list in directions I am not seeing:

  • Indisputable = people who do not agree with your views will agree with your sign. Ex: ‘Power doesn’t make someone right’

  • Inviting dialogue through modeling = literal. Ex: ‘Let's have a conversation’

  • Inquiry-based = asking a question that has a universal ‘yes’ answer Ex: ‘Would you prefer to make decisions about your own body?’ 

DISTORTING YOUR FACE  …..

= makes you not look like you

= changes the way you feel and make you not feel like you

= depicts a ‘power’ that is distorting you

= shows pain, physically uncomfortable

= portrays being constantly asked to accommodate and being overextended

= shows acknowledgement that you aren’t usually catching this much attention but some people do just for being them

= represents your adaptability and versatility to various situations

 

 .....please say and ask what you'd like.......