FINDING THE FEMININE (2023)

Digital photography and post-production

Jensen Kugler

The theme of this series is femininity. Each image is in some way reflective of femininity and the feminine experience to me. There are five sets of images within this series based around different subjects: flowers, Sunflower the cat, cows, and two sets of portraiture. I wanted to explore how femininity can be found in unexpected places and work to break open the binary ideas of what feminine and masculine mean. For me, the feminine experience is full of both beauty and pain. My images seek to explore those contradictions and celebrate the different manifestations of beauty. Femininity can be seen in plants, animals, clothing, buildings, people, and landscapes; the feminine can be found anywhere. It is impossible to articulate the full breadth of the feminine experience, and I wanted my series to be conscious of that fact; I tried to depict various kinds of femininity and reflect the perspectives of my subjects in the process.​

My images are all named after plants and are connected to the symbolism of their assigned plant. I used symbolism from a variety of cultures but primarily based my titles on the Victorian Language of Flowers. I wanted to use the Language of Flowers because it has historically been considered a 'feminine' form of communication that women used to communicate with one another. Many of the 'meanings' of flowers are contradictory, holding both positive and negative symbolism, which reflects the inherent tension of the feminine experience. I hope that when viewers look at my images and their titles, they will consider what each symbolizes to them personally while also reexamining the limitations of their own perspectives. My greatest hope for this series is that it prompts viewers to expand their perceptions of femininity.