"Pygmalion Effect XV" by Almudena Rodriguez

Extracting images, logos and slogans from popular culture, Almudena Rodriguez rearranges these disparate signs in an attempt to map out a single vision determined not by original context but through aesthetic thought. In a series titled "Pygmalion Effect," the artist explores the popular psychological idea that greater expectations lead to better performance, questioning how an artist can influence the viewer’s perception. Created with acrylic paint on hand-sewn fabrics, "Pygmalion Effect XV" is a reflection on femininity and female stereotypes. Juxtaposing a storybook illustration of a young girl with the come-hither look of a comic book siren, Rodriguez notes the aesthetic role women are bound to play throughout their lives. A scripted snippet of a children’s song and the female moon layer on other associations in a work that asks one to stretch one’s understanding of style, meaning and perception.