‘More Than Just A Pretty Face’ is a project that focuses on the way women have been portrayed in the media over time, and how perceptions of women have changed from the mid 1900s up until 2017. Using several women’s magazine’s from 1952 as source material, I dissected some of the main imagery and typography and compared the portrayal of the female character with magazine spreads created this year.  

After finding that in both time periods words such as ‘Beauty,’ ‘Weight’ and ‘Diet’ were featured heavily, I decided to create a magazine for women to show these similarities, and offer an alternative perspective on the female form. Through digital and analog collage techniques, combined with a use of varied typography, I created a commentary on female body image throughout time and the focus that the media has on women finding love and settling down into marriage. 

I have then conducted further research into some inspiring and intelligent women that can be shown to young girls as role models, in order to show them that a pleasing appearance is not a guide to character and as the saying goes, “Beauty is only skin deep”. I have created a collage piece that breaks up the female body and features these inspiring women, deconstructing their sexualisation and offering an alternative message for young women to read. I feel that my project has been successful in creating a piece of media that appeals to women and communicates my message in a clear and engaging way.