My work explores my relationship with my body vs how it is perceived. As a woman I have had experiences where my body was seen in ways I do not approve given societal, I have had experiences where my body was seen in ways I do not approve given societal expectations and stereotypes of the ideal female form, being sexualized expectations and stereotypes of the ideal female form, being sexualized, and commodified into objects. Specifically, my work addresses the intersection of history and memory, where they collide and their lasting impact. I enjoy using repetition and fragmentation in my work as a form of reflection for acceptance of my body and the origins of insecurity. Throughout my life, I was taught through therapy that when traumatic events happen, repetition is an effective way to process and eventually overcome them. 

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 I came across the term cheesecake when an older male referred to some of my pictures in social media as “cheesecake” pictures. Unfamiliar with the term, I asked what it meant, he explained that it meant images of women for male viewing. I was offended by the term, and I decided to dive deeper into its origins and find out why. I began acquiring vintage magazines to research more about the history of the female body and how it was portrayed. This exploration led me to “gentleman” magazines catering for the male gaze. The male gaze became a central focus of my work since many societal expectations put on women are surrounding men and their existence. Women are viewed as secondary, seen as objects of desire or disdain if they do not fit the standards. 

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 The cheesecake term is rumored to have come from when an editor, who loved cheesecake, from a journal in New York saw a picture of a girl lifting her skirt and said something like “It's almost better than cheesecake.” In the1930s and was widely used for a few decades after that. Cheesecake is a term that no longer fits in today's vocabulary. When brought back to a modern setting, it made me reflect. The term “cheesecake” may not be used anymore; rm was first published around the 1930’s and was widely used for a few decades after that. Cheesecake is a term that no longer fits in today's vocabulary. When brought back to a modern setting it made me reflect. The term “cheesecake” may not be used anymore however, women are still treated like “cheesecake.”  

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For my work I juxtapose information and images I read and see with events that happen in my life that have led me to perceive my body as mine. I scan the gentleman's magazines, pictures and memorabilia into the computer and organize the images into folders (example: text, full body images, hands, etc.). This helps me because when I want to make a collage, I can find images, print them in archival paper with the desired size and arrange them together over a wooden panel. Each college has a theme of writings or experiences, like “Bitch Manifesto” which is a short writing where the term bitch is reclaimed and given an empowering meaning instead of negative. All these themes go back to the “cheesecake” theme as well as my relationship with my body. 

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When studying art history, I was taught about “Olympia” by Manet which fascinated me. Olympia who is naked gazes right at the viewer, responding to the male gaze. “Olympia” is one of the first paintings where the women respond and defies the male gaze which made it have rejection at its time for being absurd. “Olympia” had many other symbols that make it interesting like her show falling off her foot which signifies an orgasm. Despite “Olympia” being extremely interesting, I was looking for a women's interpretation of the female body because I wanted a distinct point of view from what is usually presented by the media/artists. 

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Throughout my research I came across Alice Neel, she was passionate about her work. She used to be compared to men saying she painted like one. Neel was criticized for many things, things that men typically do not get criticized for, like allowing her husband to take her daughter so she could focus on her career. Neel painted nude female figures; she would try to relate to her model when painting. The female nude has been explored extensively by the male gaze where the female figure is catered for male viewing. It is refreshing to see the female figure through a female point of view. She enjoyed portraying the subject's character, capturing fears, uncertainties and personality through pose, facial expressions, and ambiance. She inspires me because she does a successful job in transmitting different emotions and fazes of a woman’s life.