Pinup and the art of Sammy Slabbinck

In the late nineteenth century, burlesque performers and actresses used photographic advertisement as business cards to promote themselves. Understanding the power of photographic advertisements to promote their shows, burlesque women self-constructed their identity to make themselves visible. Being recognized not only within the theater itself but also outside challenged the conventions of women’s place and women’s potential in the public sphere.

“To understand both the complicated identity and the subversive nature of the nineteenth-century actress, one must also understand that the era’s views on women’s potential were inextricably tied to their sexuality, which in turn was tied to their level of visibility in the public sphere: regardless of race, class or background, it was generally assumed that the more public the woman, the more “public,” or available, her sexuality", according to historian Maria Elena Buszek. -Wikipedia

Sammy Slabbinck renders dynamic collage prints, combining vintage photographs with contemporary compositional styles. The images are cut up into pieces and redistributed, playing with exaggeration and proportions. Other times, the images are placed in a reverse context, juxtaposing modern ideals with traditional states of mind. (Artist Website, Sept 30)

Sammy Slabbinck