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With Power and Burden of Beauty, Hovnanian employs a visual vocabulary that includes pageant winners from the artist’s home state of Texas; their trophies, flowers, tiaras and formal wear; and the swimsuits, cosmetics and the retail environment that surrounds and supports them. Overall, the installation unfolds as a study of how beauty is ritualized in society, be it at home or in the media, here presented as paintings, sculptures, installations, and performances.
Allowing the viewers to come to their own conclusions, Hovnanian presents us with imagery that refers to how women are valued for their physical appearance. Employing wit, absurdity and humor as expressive means, Hovnanian creates works that question our understanding of "What is beauty?” and "Who is the most beautiful?” requiring us to become aware of those moments when we feel forced to judge, to be judged, to compete, and to conform.
