Liv Hedges Art - THE MISOGYNARMOIRE

The Misogynarmoire (pronounced muh•soh•juh•naam•waa) is a multidisciplinary installation that marries set building, photography, textiles, and marketing design to form an immersive 1960’s London high-street experience.

Revolving around a fictional women’s clothing retailer, The 1960’s witnessed the emergence of second-wave feminism, resulting in an era whose coexistence of rebellion, self-expression and disentanglement was equally as synonymous with female oppression. Arguably the principles in which women exist today closely reflects this duality of 1960’s feminist culture. Therefore, the purpose of adopting this aesthetic is to narrate what it’s like to be female in contemporary society, through lenses of retro fashion, art and language.

Inspired by the 1960’s paper dress craze, the entirety of The Misogynarmoire’s product line is constructed from a polypropylene-paper composite. This medium, whose most recent use has been for disposable COVID-19 face masks, presents a modern alternative to the original Duraweave™ material, that points towards patriarchal restriction and female safety.

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Mixed Media Installation, 244 x 257 x 325 cm].

The garments are available in a range of colour and pattern preferences, as displayed in the supporting catalogue, each lending themselves to issues surrounding present-day misogyny; these issues concern, but are not limited to, beauty ideals, body image, catcalling and ‘red flags’ within relationships.

The aforementioned issues embedded within "The Misogynarmoire" (2022) were extracted from Dear Men, a self-directed survey consulting forty anonymous women about their experiences of womanhood, street harassment, romantic and platonic relationships with men, and gender politics. Findings revealed how nearly 75% could recall undergoing male-inflicted emotional, verbal, domestic and/or sexual abuse, in ‘romantic’ relationships, and 65% in platonic. Hedges aimed to take these responses and create something that spotlighted this war on women that partners, employers, doctors, the media, and the stranger in the street have all fought in alike.

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Collared Mini Dress [Polypropylene-Paper Composite, Cotton Thread, Plastic Button], Cone Bra and Open-Bottom Girdle Two-Piece [Polypropylene-Paper Composite, Cotton Thread, Elastic, Metal/Nylon Concealed Zip, Nickel Plated Suspender Clips], Double Breasted Cape [Polypropylene-Paper Composite, Cotton Thread, 8 Plastic Buttons].

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Series of Self-Made [PLA, Acrylic, Timber, Satin Ribbon, Embroidery Thread, Cotton, Laser Printer Paper], Upcycled and Found Objects].

From the onset, it became clear to the artist that what this project needed was satire: a fun, girlish, palatable aesthetic. Because reverting back to a ‘cherished’ piece of advice she received from an ex-partner of her own, dialing down anger about gender inequality, might make men actually want to listen.

The Misogynarmoire is built around the colour pink, the epitome of femininity (Simpson, 2021), and three other supporting hues presenting the socio-personal contradictions of femaleness. Juxtaposing black, white, and red alongside pink is designed to initially allude to the womanly overtones of elegance, innocence, and love whilst their deeper intention is to represent the depression, emptiness, and rage bubbling just under the surface (Simpson, 2021). Adopting silly, unsuspectingly cutesy visuals to mask darker concepts is a technique that has been regularly implemented throughout this project.

Image Courtesy of Leeds University Library Galleries

The accompanying catalogue is categorised into three chapters, which are as follows:

1. Underwear that references real, documented experiences of women regarding misogyny through language, commenting on themes of protest, cat calling and relationship “red flags”.

2. Dresses highlighting the absurdity of female beauty ideals, consulting the merchandise that is marketed to women to manipulate and, in many cases, remove their innate features.

3. Outerwear that focuses on the media’s acknowledgement and categorisation of women’s body types, and the way in which this promotes dysmorphia through literal female objectification.

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Digital Photograph].

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [52-page Catalogue on 130gsm Silk Paper].

The Misogynarmoire was on display at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery's FUAM Graduate Art Prize 2022 exhibition, from 16th August - 5th November 2022; it won the People's Choice Award.

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Mixed Media Installation, 244 x 257 x 325 cm].

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Mixed Media Installation, 244 x 257 x 325 cm].

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Mixed Media Installation, 244 x 257 x 325 cm].

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Mixed Media Installation, 244 x 257 x 325 cm].

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Series of Self-Made [PLA, Acrylic, Timber, Satin Ribbon, Embroidery Thread, Cotton, Laser Printer Paper], Upcycled and Found Objects].

Image Courtesy of Leeds University Library Galleries

Image Courtesy of Leeds University Library Galleries

Image Courtesy of Leeds University Library Galleries

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [Digital Photograph].

Image Courtesy of Liv Hedges [52-page Catalogue on 130gsm Silk Paper].

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