Lauren Starr
The Artwork
Lauren Starr
- Fine Art Photographer
Alice has her cake, 2024
Fine art photography
Artist Statement
Inspired by lavish still life paintings of the past and Lewis Carroll’s beloved heroine, ‘Alice Has Her Cake,’ is quite the mouthful. All grown up, Alice is a curious, intelligent woman who challenges the status quo. She is not a carefully placed ornament or bauble amongst the still life; she is very much alive and embodying her wild feminine energy. Wind-swept, messy and (gasp) actually eating the cake in front of her, she throws her days of counting calories to the wind. We catch her in a moment in time when she’s chosen herself; chosen to rise above the limiting narratives given to her…decided that she can jolly well have her cake and eat it too. Let the image draw you into the rich symbology within. The jam (or blood?) on her dress, the butterflies that urge transformation, and the rabbit - not just a character in Wonderland, but a powerful symbol of fertility and rebirth.
Bio
My journey to becoming an artist and entering into the art world came later in life. I’ve forged my own path and worked hard to overcome my ‘good girl’ conditioning and believe that my skills and work are worthy. Cultural narratives and policies have improved vastly over the years, however Women are still underrepresented in public and commercial galleries. It’s disheartening to walk through galleries and not see female and gender diverse artists adequately represented for their labour. We have a lot to say, and my hope is that we as a society are working towards a future that celebrates, values, and includes artwork by all genders and ages.
“Growing up I felt limited in so many ways by the conditioning of my gender, by the drive to be ‘a good girl.’ Through my artwork I delve into diverse stories, in order to breakdown old narratives of what it means to be a woman.”
- Lauren Starr
Women of Gold is a multimedia project celebrating the stories and contributions of women in the City of Greater Bendigo. Increasing the representation of women across different sectors and inspiring industry to innovate and meet the needs of our community as a whole.
