Ahh, Look at Woman

This collage is built from women's magazines of the 1920s — portraits and silhouettes I collect and rearrange to explore how women were seen, and how they saw themselves. Colour printing was rare then, so the images came in soft greys, and I love the quiet strength in those grey tones: an era that tied a woman's worth to her composure and her looks.

So the piece is a conversation with that ideal, and a gentle argument with it. It catches how society once measured a woman by appearance alone, while celebrating everything that lies beyond the surface — intelligence, resilience, creativity. The title says it: Ahh, look at woman — but look longer than they once did.

I built it in mixed media: acrylic, a linocut print, newspaper fragments, and Fabriano cuttings mounted on grey board for a sculptural relief you feel as much as see.

An original collage. Signed.

Jolanta