Tanline I

As far as images of femininity and debates about beauty ideals are concerned, Swedish artist Arvida Byström is one of the leading voices on social media and beyond. Using selfie sticks and fruit in underwear, she updates the genres of portrait and still life for the 21st century with Internet culture in mind. Her visual language is cute and girlish, and she employs the color pink as a symbol of femininity without irony.

Technology has always been present in Byström’s works, in the form of smartphones and laptops. She speaks to a generation of people who pick up their smartphones first thing in the morning and only put them down when they are about to shut their eyes at night. Does technology rule over us and our bodies, or are we the ones who rule over technology?