Reconciling Reality with Ideal Image

These Photoshopped classic paintings, altered to represent current media body standards, have been making the rounds on the internet the past week or so. It’s prompted me to ponder how I reconcile my work with my belief that unrealistic beauty standards are harmful. Body shaming is rampant, millions of women believe themselves inadequate because they don’t look like the women they see in the media, and young girls starve themselves trying to attain a size only possible with digital removal of bones. It’s insane. Yet I work in an industry that takes part in that. It could even be argued that makeup itself is usually applied to alter a woman’s appearance to be more appealing to the same sort of impossible standards.

I feel like there is an important distinction between enhancing features - whether with makeup or digital technique - and completely altering them. I also feel strongly that when creating a beautiful image, it would be a waste not use every tool available to realize one’s vision. If I’m modeling (which I do on occasion), and I have a Mt. Vesuvius zit that scoffs at my makeup kit, I absolutely want the photographer to edit it out. And a certain vain part of me doesn’t mind having a little cellulite airbrushed, my eyes brightened, maybe that weird fold of skin under my arm removed… But where is the line? At what point do I become a caricature of myself? Or worse, an unrealistic doll?

I’m honestly not sure. What I am sure of is that I love my work. I love fashion, I love glamour, and I love making ordinary people into extraordinary works of art. Outrageous, unrealistic standards need to change, and I believe that the best contribution I can make is to assist women of all shapes and sizes in feeling beautiful before the lens even finds them.