Review: “GOOD GIRL ROTTED” at Janette Kennedy Gallery, Dallas

by Sofia Penny October 24, 2024
A Gallery with several pink sculptures installed on the floor and walls.

“GOOD GIRL ROTTED” Installation view. Photo: Ashley Whitt

As I stepped into the Janette Kennedy Gallery, I was immediately struck by the overwhelming presence of hot pink, synonymous with traditional representations of femininity. However, upon closer inspection, this familiar shade clashed against the visceral pinks of exposed intestines, organs, and bodily decay. Ashley Whitt masterfully plays with these stark contrasts throughout GOOD GIRL ROTTED, forcing the viewer to confront unsettling dualities. What does it mean when pink — closely tied to the ideals of softness and innocence — is forced upon you from childhood? How does it feel when this color, once sweet and saccharine, becomes a tool of suffocation?

Ashley Whitt is an interdisciplinary artist who explores themes of duality, psychological states, and mortality. She employs various techniques, such as digital manipulation in Photoshop, traditional darkroom, and sculptural methods. A Texas native, she currently resides in Dallas. Whitt earned her MFA in Photography from Texas Woman’s University in 2012 and her BFA in Photography from UT Arlington in 2009. She has taught photography and art and was a full-time Lecturer at Texas Christian University from 2017 to 2018. Currently, she is the Director of Visual Resources at Southern Methodist University.

A gallery with four long pink sculptures and a small pink painting installed on the wall.

“GOOD GIRL ROTTED” Installation view. Photo: Ashley Whitt

Whitt’s solo exhibition, GOOD GIRL ROTTED, is an intense exploration of femininity, body horror, and the weight of societal expectations. Drawing inspiration from horror films, alternative rock, literature, personal experiences with mental health, and the socio-political landscape of Texas in 2024, Whitt weaves a powerful and cohesive narrative that critiques the rigid definitions of what it means to be a “good girl.” Her interdisciplinary approach — blending photography, sculpture, video, and handmade books — creates a deeply immersive experience that invites viewers to confront the grotesque and beautiful in tandem.

A pink cake with the words" Hear Broken" written on it in frosting.

Ashley Whitt, “I wanna be the girl with the most cake,” 2024, cardboard, spackle, acrylic paint, fake cherries, 30 x 30 x 36 inches

What happens when the “good girl” goes bad? How do gender norms enforce the idea of femininity, and what happens when those norms are subverted? How does the female body transform through trauma and decay? What is the connection between femininity and monstrosity? How does living in Texas in the post-Roe v. Wade reality affect women’s identities and bodies? CNN reporter Lauren Mascarenhas highlights the ongoing impact of Roe v. Wade’s reversal, noting, “Two years after Roe v. Wade was overturned, 14 states have enacted total or near-total bans on abortion, including Alabama, Texas, Idaho, and Tennessee… Abortion has emerged as a key issue in the 2024 election.” This political backdrop amplifies the relevance of Whitt’s work, positioning it as a reflection of the harsh realities facing women in these states, where bodily autonomy and reproductive rights are under threat.

The phrase "Now insides and outsides are matching" is sewn together from felt and displayed on a gallery wall.

Ashley Whitt, “Now Insides and Outsides are Matching,” 2024, photocopies, felt, thread, and straight pins, 12 x 15 inches

At the core of Whitt’s work is the concept of the “monstrous-feminine,” a theory inspired by Barbara Creed’s book The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, and Psychoanalysis. Whitt challenges traditional horror tropes by depicting women as powerful, complex beings who are feared for their potential to disrupt patriarchal control.

As I engaged with this exhibit, I found myself making connections to Jennifer’s Body (2009), directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody. Jennifer’s Body fits seamlessly into the thematic underpinnings of Whitt’s GOOD GIRL ROTTED, particularly in how it engages with ideas of the “monstrous feminine” as a source of power and fear. The film presents a feminist reimagining of horror tropes, subverting traditional depictions of female monstrosity by exploring the cultural anxieties around female sexuality, autonomy, and the body.

A close-up of a long accordion book with images of intestines.

Ashley Whitt, “I ripped my guts out for you” (detail), 2024, accordion book made with card stock, photocopies, oil stick, and thread, 4.25 x 180 inches

One of the more poignant elements of the show is Whitt’s subversion of domesticity. The pink wallpaper in several of her sculptural bookmaking, reminiscent of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, represents suffocating femininity, a cage disguised as a home. The organs intertwined with floral patterns and dollhouses that resemble cakes become sites of protest, reclaiming spaces typically associated with female subjugation. 

A dollhouse filled with intestines and outlined in cake frosting.

Ashley Whitt, “My Body is a Haunted House,” 2024, found dollhouse, spackle, acrylic paint, satin, tulle, 32 x 30 x 24 inches

This theme of reconstruction extends beyond sewing to another deeply personal symbol of femininity: the dollhouse. Whitt explained, “The dollhouses are something I always wanted as a child but never had. During the pandemic, I was gifted this house because someone was done using it, and it got me thinking about play and childhood.” This work, titled My Body is a Haunted House, is filled with intestines, representing the trauma we carry within our bodies, a physical manifestation of life’s experiences. Inspired by The Body Keeps the Score, Whitt delves into how trauma and PTSD physically impact the body. The dollhouse, much like her sewn books, becomes a visualization of her body’s trauma, memories, and pain — inviting us to ask, “What does it look like when the body holds all these burdens?”

A Gallery with several pink sculptures installed on the floor and walls.

“GOOD GIRL ROTTED” Installation view. Photo: Ashley Whitt

GOOD GIRL ROTTED is an intensely cohesive and visually striking exhibition that forces viewers to reconcile the contradictions of femininity, control, and monstrosity. Whitt is brave, not just for her unapologetic confrontation of these taboo and harsh topics but also for her overwhelming vulnerability and empathy. Her fearless exploration of taboo subjects, including mental illness, bodily autonomy, and societal expectations, speaks directly to the current moment. By blending horror with domestic beauty with decay, Whitt crafts a potent narrative about the challenges of being a woman in Texas — and the world — in 2024.

 

GOOD GIRL ROTTED is on view at Janette Kennedy Gallery from October 12-27, 2024.

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