Suzy Lake, (b. 1947) 
Pucker, from the series Beauty at a Proper Distance, 2001 
Digital chromogenic print 
On loan from the artist 

American-Canadian artist Suzy Lake explores the cultural obsession with, and commodification of, female youth in her series Beauty at a Proper Distance. From afar, these photographs look like advertisements from a fashion magazine, but, up close they reveal imperfections and signs of aging. Lake says, “As an older woman I am the ‘other,’ yet I have an experienced life to celebrate. In making this work, I employ media strategies and signifiers to sell an image of maturity to an audience infatuated with youth.”