No Expiry Date: The Invisibility of Ageing Women
This project explores themes of ageing, invisibility and society rejection of older women. Media: Printmaking, gouache, mixed media.
In many societies, ageing women face a unique yet often overlooked form of discrimination, where ageism and sexism intersect to diminish their visibility, value, and opportunities. While youth is celebrated for its beauty, vitality, and relevance, older women are frequently marginalised across professional, social, and cultural spheres. From workplace biases that favor younger employees to media representations that erase ageing women from view, systemic prejudices shape their lived experiences and reinforce their invisibility.
Julie’s thesis artwork incorporates printmaking, gouache rendering, and mixed media to explore themes of invisibility, rejection, and hostility through the aged female form. Her work is divided into three distinct series: Uteruses, Fading Impressions, and Unseen.
Uteruses presents gouache renderings of the female uterus, symbolising the transition from youthful fertility to a stage where procreation is no longer possible. These works reimagine the uterus as a site of repurposing and transformation, challenging societal narratives that equate a woman’s worth with her reproductive capacity.
Fading Impressions employs printmaking techniques, including Chine-collé, to depict the gradual erasure of ageing women from societal recognition. The delicate layering of translucent materials reflects both their fragility and resilience, capturing the tension between presence and disappearance.
Unseen is a mixed media exploration of women’s invisibility, using fragmented imagery and diverse textures to emphasise their overlooked presence and the marginalisation they endure.
Together, these works confront societal perceptions of ageing women, exposing the biases that render them invisible and reclaiming their space within cultural and artistic discourse.
