Better To Kiss You With, My Dear
Dina Ropele – 2006, 2 min, MiniDV, Santa Cruz, CA
The video is an ironic interpretation of the woman’s daily ritual of applying lipstick. This performance becomes an act of internalizing a desired physical exterior. It is a questionable embrace of the external façade that is created by the application of cosmetics and the nagging desire to obtain it permanently.
Dina Ropele is pursing an MFA in Photography at San Jose State University. She has a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Studio Art and Photography from CSU San Bernardino. She grew up in Southern California, which is a main influence on her work. Her work confronts the constant desire for the futile possession of beauty and the self-destructive nature used to obtain it.