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To my own surprise, I did not know that prior to World War II the color pink was associated with masculinity. Upon reading and viewing Korean photographer JeongMee Yoon’s photographs from her “Pink and Blue” project, an ongoing series she began in 2005, I began to wonder what else we have failed to question and have come to accept so readily.
JEONGMEE YOON, Sehyun and Her Pink Things, 2007. Copyright the artist.
JEONGMEE YOON, Hojun and His Blue Things, 2007. Copyright the artist.
JEONGMEE YOON, Tess and Her Pink & Purple Things, 2006. Copyright the artist.
JEONGMEE YOON, Terry and His Blue Things, 2005. Copyright the artist.
As JeongMee Yoon describes her project: “The Pink and Blue Projects were initiated by my five-year-old daughter, who loves the color pink so much that she wanted to wear only pink clothes and play with only pink toys and objects. I discovered that my daughter’s case was not unusual. In the United States, South Korea and elsewhere, most young girls love pink clothing, accessories and toys. This phenomenon is widespread among children of various ethnic groups regardless of their cultural backgrounds. Perhaps it is the influence of pervasive commercial advertisements aimed at little girls and their parents, such as the universally popular Barbie and Hello Kitty merchandise that has developed into a modern trend. Girls train subconsciously and unconsciously to wear the color pink in order to look feminine.”
See the artist’s website here.
Billy Kung is photo editor at ArtAsiaPacific.