hopeless radiance

The lure of the fairy tale is the lure of passivity and the renunciation of choice. Like the slave who happily submits to a dominatrix, the fairytale princess lacks the independence to achieve self-fulfillment, because she is intimately bound by fate. As an audience, we surrender to escapism, watching the princess as she is propelled along through adversity and hardship to the ultimate happy ending. We allow ourselves momentarily to bask in the glow of the happy ending as if it were our own fate as well. Similarly, we are taught that anyone is capable of achieving their own happy ending, the American Dream, through hard work and perseverance.

My video Suburban Allegory explores the idea of the suburban house (and the life it represents) as a fetishistic object. I am especially interested in exploring the space of the lonely princess. How does she abate her boredom? What are her playthings, and how do these speak to her desires/ fantasies? I imagine the princess trapped within a tiny room. She is surrounded by miniature houses, tiny models of suburban dream homes, which speak to her desire for the decadent comfort of suburbs.

There are no windows in the princess’s tiny room, but she dreams of the outside world. Perhaps, she even escapes one day. As she searches, she leaves a trail of houses behind her to mark her path. She finds picturesque houses, construction, emptiness, wind, the loneliness of an enormous lawn, the edge of the world, and she buries her dreams in the woods of longing. There is a sense of loss and confusion, as she cannot find her dream home, her prince, her family, or anyone. She remains alone in her tower, waiting under the auspices of the hourglass, with no one to admire her black hair or pearls, fading beauty.

These themes and these questions create an allegory of the modern woman’s dilemma. The freedom to choose everything, a career, family, location, an education, is as powerful as it is overwhelming. I question how much happiness attaining the material trappings of the American Dream actually brings. The intoxicating desire for success and independence clash with the need to be vulnerable occasionally, to be taken care of and sheltered. The quest for financial independence and a successful career often requires sacrificing close relationships with friends and family. Even as women continue to gain recognition and equality in the workplace, images in the media continue to reinforce the ideas that women should be thin, attractive, and sexy, while still retaining a sense of modesty. Achieving success and happiness requires a deft navigation through these conflicting forces. The princess is caught in an anxious rift between longing for the simplicity of the past and seeking freedom of the present.

(stills from Suburban Allegory)