Screw Happy Endings Issue #41

Photographer Dina Goldstein brings fairytale

By Kirsten Kilponen
Published: September 1st, 2009 | 11:37am

In Dina Goldstein’s Fallen Princesses, fair maidens are removed from their fantasy worlds and thrust into more relatable circumstances. Any turmoil they endured in their fairytale lives (evil stepmothers, tainted fruit, lost slippers) pales in comparison to the social issues that now surround them. Goldstein explores the possible outcomes of “Disney’s perfect princesses juxtaposed with real issues … such as illness, addiction, and self-image,” causing the viewer to question the value of these stories.

It was the antithesis of a “happily ever after” ending in Goldstein’s own life that sparked her fascination with the unlikely nature of fairytales. At the same time her 3-year-old daughter was first exposed to Disney princesses, Goldstein was struck with her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. It occurred to her, “Disney princesses really didn’t have to deal with issues like cancer,” and she began to explore the tales of the Brothers Grimm. “[Brothers Grimm stories] have very dark and sometimes gruesome aspects, not always concluded by a happy ending,” she says.

These darker themes definitely carry over into Goldstein’s own work as she portrays the lives of Disney’s princesses gone awry. Rapunzel loses her locks to chemo in one piece, and Belle’s beauty is attributed to plastic surgery in another. Goldstein describes the imagery in her Snow White portrait as “domestic bliss gone realistic.” A hopeless Snow White stands in absolute dismay as babies crawl around and toys lay strewn about while Prince Charming, in a vegetative state, watches televised polo. Perhaps Goldstein’s most controversial work is the piece that depicts Jasmine in purple fatigues holding an AK-47, which she describes as a reflection of the disarray taking place in the Middle East.

Although Goldstein’s purpose is to give contemporary meaning to classic characters, her artwork also pays homage to 17th century Dutch genre paintings in which depictions of private interiors, clothing, and possessions offer the viewer an intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of people and their social values. Goldstein is no stranger to this concept and admits to being inspired by Rembrandt. “[Rembrandt] created haunting portraits that capture in fine detail the lavish clothing, jewelry, and ornate interiors of [his] patrons,” she says. Goldstein also takes inspiration from the extremely detailed domestic scenes of Johannes Vermeer. The Baroque painter’s affinity for detail can be detected in Goldstein’s princess series. The use of bold colors and iconography make her imagery instantly recognizable, and the use of photography truly removes the princesses from their imaginary settings and puts them into reality.

Dina Goldstein’s Fallen Princesses will be on exhibition from October 15 at the Buschlen Mowatt Gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia.