They were highly visible but closely controlled; admired while also dismissed. History reduced them to decoration or scandal, overlooking the labor and resilience it took to live under constant scrutiny.
Like the painted ladies, my show ponies exist within systems that expect them to perform. What first appears playful begins to reveal fatigue and resistance that often goes unseen beneath the sexualized surface. The figures shift between human and horse forms. This transformation isn’t just a costume but an extension of identity. Unlike t
Like the painted ladies, my show ponies exist within systems that expect them to perform. What first appears playful begins to reveal fatigue and resistance that often goes unseen beneath the sexualized surface. The figures shift between human and horse forms. This transformation isn’t just a costume but an extension of identity. Unlike the controlled portrayal of the painted lady, the horse symbolizes strength and the connection to freedom in the American West.
The carousel appears throughout the exhibition as a recurring structure, suggesting a cycle of performance that never fully stops. The figures move, but the ride always brings them back to where they began. The Show Ponies is not about reliving history but reclaiming it, giving women past and present space to be seen on their own terms. A
The carousel appears throughout the exhibition as a recurring structure, suggesting a cycle of performance that never fully stops. The figures move, but the ride always brings them back to where they began. The Show Ponies is not about reliving history but reclaiming it, giving women past and present space to be seen on their own terms. Asking viewers to sit with their gaze, to question what they find beautiful, and to recognize the irony embedded in that desire.