Maita in a Gold Dress / Maita en un vestido dorado, 2010
Priscilla Monge
Priscilla Monge (Costa Rica, b.1968). Maita in a Gold Dress / Maita en un vestido dorado, 2010. Color photograph on metalized paper, ed. 3/7. 60 in. x 40 in. Gift of the Artist and Salt Fine Art. MOLAA Permanent Collection.
Priscilla Monge explores issues of power, gender and love through her photography. Maita in a Gold Dress portrays a doll modeling an elegant ensemble, yet her make-up was not applied carefully, perhaps on purpose. Maita may symbolize a little girl playing dress-up, or somebody who feels pressured to look beautiful and provocative. Monge’s photograph speaks to the unattainable standards of femininity that many women encounter in today’s society. She provokes her viewers through a visual language that is forceful yet relatable.
About the Artist
In her multimedia practice, Priscilla Monge explores the subtle machinations of power and its manifestations in the perfunctory aspects of life. Monge stages commonplace scenes, such as soccer pitches or tea parties, but undermines the innocuous quality of the familiar with bizarre or violent interventions.
Based in San José, Costa Rica, Monge has participated in the Venice and Liverpool Biennials. In the latter, she constructed a soccer pitch with hills that impeded play. The installation questioned how changes to built environments alter behaviors. Although politically motivated, Monge’s work conveys a sense of whimsy that suggests an absurdist dimension.