When you first saw the photo above, a candid-style shot of a Kim Kardashian lookalike being squeezed into a pair of Spanx by Kanye, your first thought probably wasn’t of who created it – and nor what it symbolises for women. In fact, the message behind it, and the other works appearing in the ‘There’s a Good Girl’ exhibition (at the Assembly rooms until 19 December), is that female creatives are now changing the rules on the way that women have appeared in advertisements for decades. The artist, by the way, is Alison Jackson, also known for her memorable campaign for Schweppes featuring a Camilla Parker Bowles lookalike sipping a G&T.

‘There’s a Good Girl’ is a VivaWomen! exhibition, curated by Saatchi & Saatchi,  and forms part of an initiative working to raise the profile of women in advertising. Sara Baumann, Talent Strategy Director of Leo Burnett Group and Chair of VivaWomen!, said “We are a creative business, working to engage women for the majority of our clients, yet women are under-represented in creative departments in our agencies.” The seed for the exhibition’s concept was planted after Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Director Jo Wallace attended an event organised by VivaWomen!

The exhibition features an extensive list of artists: Alison Carmichael, Alison Jackson, Arvida Bystrom, Cassandra Yap, Hattie Stewart, Jessica May Underwood, Jillian Lochner, Kathryn Ferguson, Malika Favre, Mary Nighy, Michela Picchi, Miss Cakehead, Nancy Fouts, Natasha Law, Pam Glew, Rhea Thierstein, Sara Pope, Soozy Lipsey, Toni Gallagher and Veronique Rolland. Many of these women started out as creative in the advertising industry and later carved out successful careers as artists. Jo Wallace drafted in Shelley Dobson and Lisa Robbins, as well as Suzie Quill, Camilla McLean, Layla Boyd and Lee Sharrock to form the TAGG team.

The unique and beautiful sculptures, photography, illustrations, drawings, and films are an exciting way to draw attention to this cause. Favourites include Sara Pope’s neon red lips, which she showed personally to His Holiness at the Vatican, and Pam Glew’s American flag featuring Anna Wintour’s face.

And to add to the exhibition’s appeal, a percentage of any artwork and exhibition merchandise sold will be donated to charity Plan UK, who work with the world’s poorest children so they can move themselves from a life of poverty to a future with opportunity. They help girls around the world who are threatened by poverty, gender inequality, violence, poor education, conflict and disasters.

plan-uk.org

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