Bias: Hair
My mother always wanted me to have curls, so from childhood, I had Tonette Perms and curlers! The interesting thing is that my hair was straight, just like hers. She permed her hair until her late 90’s. I, however, grew mine straight!
Bias: Weight
This one is so widespread that everybody, especially women know personally. In the 70’s and 80’s I posed in my bathing suit with my flat stomach. I always thought that I was fat! Now I regret not appreciating who I was and am working on appreciating who I am now.
Bias: Clothing
Growing up in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, I went from wearing little white dresses to mini dresses, to hippy clothes, and finally to pants. When I was teaching in Colonial Heights in the 70’s, I was called to the office and told that I shouldn’t wear really short skirts. My reply, “then let me wear pants.” So, they changed the dress code!
Bias Housewife
When my now husband and I decided to get married, I said, “I will not be Suzie Homemaker.” He agreed, but had no idea what that would mean. These images are either from our family photo albums or from a scrapbook that my mother-in-law was given at her wedding shower in 1939.
Bias Teaching
In my day, the mid 60’s, women who were educated were expected to become either nurses or teachers, until they married and had children. I was told many times that you teach when you can’t do anything else. K – 12 teachers couldn’t make art or be artists. I have spent my life refuting that!
Bias Pregnancy
When I was pregnant, there were so many conflicting sources of information that it was really confusing. There was Dr. Spock, and other books about punishment, food, clothing, behavior, etc. A lot of ways to feel guilt and insecurity.
Bias Motherhood
I got many suggestions for what to do with your newborn all the way up to childhood and beyond! Let your baby cry it out; hold him when he cries. He should be walking and potty trained by a certain age. It is difficult raising children as it is, but all of this just makes mothers feel that they are wrong about their decisions.
Bias Women Artists
My painting professor told me that “Women do not become artists, as there are none in the Art History Books! (true at that time). Women’s creativity is in having babies!” The women artists in this image have or had successful careers, and my good friend, Willie Anne Wright has had her work shown internationally and at the VMFA when she turned 100 years old!
Bias Age
I used the arthritic hands of my sisters and my friend to represent age. We think if you’re elderly, you are incapable of living a whole life. Admittedly you do have to slow down, but it does not necessarily mean stop, just pay attention to what you must do to accommodate your health issues.
Bias: In Sickness and in Health
Nobody told me when I got married at 20 what the phrase: “In Sickness and in Health” would mean 50 years later.
