archival print on metallic paper, 2013, 12"w x 20"h
The mission of the Advisor on Women’s Issues: “To empower women, the IDF and Israeli society by promoting conditions that allow for the optimal use of the capabilities of women serving in the IDF; promoting equal opportunities for women during their military service; and assimilating women into military leadership positions.”
—from the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) website
This piece considers the objectification of the body by the military in Israel—where I grew up, lived and served. Superimposed are the images of two women, age eighteen, the mandatory enlistment age for the Israeli army. One woman is a famous model who was heavily criticized for not serving; the other is a childhood friend in a photo that was taken by noted photographer Rineke Dijkstra on the first day of my friend’s service. The cultural and personal collide bringing up the questions: Who is the photographer? What power does he/she have over the model? Over us?
A Daimler Company
