Comet Calendar

Frozen is an exhibition of PhD candidate Anna Fritzel's work, which contemplates the dormant potential of women historically, particularly the female experience over the past 200 years within the context of American Exceptionalism.

Anna will be giving a gallery talk on Monday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the SP/N Gallery.

Artist Statement:
This photographic creative dissertation, Frozen, contemplates the dormant potential of women historically, with a particular regard for the female experience of the past two hundred-plus years. The topic of dormant potential is situated within the context of American Exceptionalism.  The project utilizes images from the photographic archive, which allows for a genealogical tracing and an interrogation of hysteria—a condition in which the afflicted may have exaggerated reactions or become overemotional. The work in this collection investigates the photographic representations of this ever-changing, sex-selective disorder, and the manner in which gender identity and behavior is mediated and enforced. Further, it attempts to demonstrate the manner in which the carefully considered posing of the body has been a primary factor in the construction of historical representations of both women and a gendered caricature.  These images continue the messaging which constructs the feminine, gendered caricature that psychologist Joan Riviere labels a “masquerade.” Within each grouping of photographs there may be juxtapositions of poses from different generations or timelines. My hope is that the viewer will make connections between the “hysterical” women of the 19th century—women who were in fact posed by men—and a possible continuity of identical poses that passes down through history to arrive and spread into contemporary society. I also hope viewers will be encouraged to question where these ubiquitous poses come from. Finally, the frozen flower images are metaphors for the beauty, creativity, diversity, strength and fragility of women, as well as the isolation and stultifying containment that they have endured for centuries.

Bio:
Anna Fritzel is a photography based multi-media artist who lives in Plano, Texas and has been educating college photography students since 2005. Anna is a PhD candidate in Aesthetic Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas. She holds a BS in Photography as well as an MS in Art from Texas A&M Commerce. She has also studied photographic alternative processes at the Maine Media and Photographic Workshops. She is a member of the Society for Photographic Education as well as the Texas Photographic Society. Anna’s current work addresses perceptions of and restraints on women in the 21st century world, still dominated by patriarchal institutions, particularly mass media and its messaging. She also focuses, in other current projects, on aging, perception, grief, and exploring what it means to be “grounded.”

--------------------------------

Find us at @spngalleryutd on Instagram and SP/N Gallery on Facebook.

Gallery hours:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursdays and Fridays: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Closed Sundays and Mondays

SP/N Gallery
3020 Stewart Dr, Richardson, TX 75080

Free

Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology

#eodiah

Arts and Performance Office
Email
972-UTD-ARTS

UTD strives to create inclusive and accessible events in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require an accommodation to fully participate in this event, please contact the event coordinator (listed above) at least 10 business days prior to the event. If you have any additional questions, please email ADACoordinator@utdallas.edu and the AccessAbility Resource Center at accessability@utdallas.edu.

Event Publishing

Add an Event 

Submit your own event using our simple event submission form. It only takes a minute!

Event Publisher Training 

Learn best practices to maximize the calendar’s latest features.

Make a Calendar Feed 

Embed events anywhere on the web with our widget builder.

Explore Comet Calendar

Events by Email

Get a personalized list of events in your inbox with our digest emailer.

30-second Survey

Share your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve the Comet Calendar.

The University of Texas at Dallas