Why is innocence synonymous with eroticism in our popular media? A quick survey of popular media suggests the sexual exploitation of children is both an unequivocal taboo and a pervasive fantasy. Popular media sources such as Vogue and Disney are stunting the erotic range of women by churning out remarkably one-dimensional representations of female sexuality aimed at male and female consumers alike. My body of work is driven by my desire to highlight the ways in which these media tastes shape societal ones, and vice versa. These are my interpretations—both sinister and humorous—of the eroticized chimeras to which some look for inspiration, and others look for titillation.

I hope that my work creates a relationship between my subjects and you, the viewers, that is utterly devoid of the enticing relationships created by advertising. I hope this is an uncomfortable and intensely personal dialogue between potential voyeur and possible victim. Are we aroused by women posed (posing?) as young girls—powerless and infantilized? Are we comfortable with pre-pubescent girls portrayed as sexually precocious yet vulnerable? While I fear that often we often ignore our discomfort when confronted with these mass-produced images, I believe that we can't know our true feelings for sure until we examine these images with a more critical eye.