crissXross / wilX

Female Icons: it’s not the gaze, but the look

Recently Renee Turner interviewed me about IntraVenus, one of my short Flash moving pix, for De Geuzen’s fascinating Female Icons site which explores what makes a woman an icon.

From the Virgin Mary, to Marilyn Monroe, to Madonna, a select group of women have been canonized, mythologized and elevated to the status of icon.

Whether idolized or vilified, they reveal something about the social underpinnings of the feminine in all its clichés, perversities and conventions.

There’s a wonderful wealth of material on the site and many ways to contribute. One of my favourite elements of the project is the Female Icons Impersonator. Go to the Flickr page and add your own. I found it such fun, I also animated mine: used to be big