the red lip as protest

 

I love a classic red lip.

That aside, I'm giving the women in my Masked portraits distinctive red, or close to red, mouths. And there's a reason for that. The wearing of red lipstick is known as a powerful symbol of protest, adopted by US suffragettes in the early 20th century. (I read somewhere that Hitler hated it, one of the reasons it was popular during WWII, but I haven't seen another account of that.) Even today, the wearing of red lipstick carries additional meanings of confidence, resilience and self-expression. It still signifies a challenge of authority and dissent against oppressive regimes.

My solo show, Masked: What Women Hold, opens August 1 at KORE Gallery in Louisville.