CATIE COOK'S Bred To Be Beautiful

As the daughter of a scenic designer, I am drawn to the language of theatre —- Idealized imagery and carefully constructed scenes that, though imitating reality, often feel eerie and artificial. My paintings utilize a menagerie of animals intermixed with imagery from my childhood,1950s Hollywood films, and the online subcultures of teenage girls, to question the ways in which our patriarchal society demands performance and perfection. Within my paintings, debutantes dance below hunting trophies, the gnashing of teeth echo the clink of champagne glasses, and cheap plastic rhinestones become diamonds. Designer dogs —- whose breeding practices often leave them with chronic health issues and aggressive temperaments —- exist as both a status symbol and a reminder of the lengths to which our society is willing to go for beauty. Often toeing the line between sincerity and humor, my dreamlike paintings allow the viewer to feel the rage, pain, and beauty of being a girl.