By Emily Vaysman

In this project I will be discussing two artists Carrie Mae Weems and Ivonne Thein who use the art form of photography in order to comment on the harsh realities behind societies beauty standards. While Carrie Mae Weems comments on the racism behind societies beauty standards in her image titled “Mirror, Mirror” and Ivonne Thein comments on the unhealthy and unrealistic beauty standards in her image titled “Thirty-Two Kilos.” It is significant that both these artists use photography as their art form because photography adds a sense of realism to the images and what these images are commenting on is a reality that everyone in our society has to face.
Our society puts pressure on individuals from a young age that they need to look a certain way, dress a certain way, and act a certain way in order to be deemed as beautiful.
It is important that artists like Weems and Thein continue to use their platforms to comment on serious matters in order to call for change.