Throughout history, schools of thought and society have differed and changed on what exactly constitutes the physical attributes of the perfect woman. From the buxom beauties of The Pastoral Concert to the toned form of Venus in Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus to the almost waif-like forms that grace the front pages of magazines. The idea of a ‘real woman’ is still pushed today in advertising, films and even music videos. But what do we think?
Real Wisdom from Unreal Women, the third book by art historian and writer Risa Palazzo, turns the ‘real woman’ trope on its head. With collaged pieces of unreal women in art and art forms juxtaposed with advice from real women, Palazzo seeks to redefine the reader’s belief in what is real. From the front cover of a perfectly poised porcelain doll with a bright pink doll’s head on a cream-toned body, it is apparent that Palazzo wishes to celebrate and enjoy the flaws in these unreal women.
The insight offered by the real women vary from advice that anyone could take – “notice our similarities, not our differences and shake hands” to the somewhat reticent “seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses works for me”. What is easy to forget is that this is a collection of advice and opinions from many different women that vary as widely as the fine art that their words are placed beside.
Real Wisdom from Unreal Women by Risa Palazzo is published by Cico Books is available at http://www.rylandpeters.com/