Anne MacDonald: Pink & Blue

Anne MacDonald

Exhibition Title: Pink & Blue

Artist Statement

The artefacts of material culture are symbolic of our time. Attributing gender specific colours to baby products is not only driven by a desire to increase consumption, but also reflects a conservative pink-blue world view of femininity and masculinity.

Gender colour coding in the nursery and the toy store may seem cute and innocent, but by establishing gender binary stereotypes we are drawing clearly defined parameters for girls and boys. Dividing children into pink and blue limits possibilities, undermines freedom of individual expression, and creates conflict for those who do not easily conform to these simplistic and arbitrary codes.