Jamie Schofield Riva
Jamie Schofield Riva
Girlhood: Lost and Found
Hardcover
112 pages
50 Photographs
7 x 9 inches
Daylight Books
About the Book:
Girlhood: Lost and Found explores the experience females face growing up and growing old in a world full of preconceived notions of what it means to be a woman. Lost objects coupled with intimate portraits of the artist and her daughter mirror one another, examining the desires women abandon to conform to unrealistic ideals in our culture, often losing sight of their identities as they maneuver society’s stereotypes. The discarded items offer the opportunity to reflect on what unreasonable expectations both the artist and the female collective can also leave behind, providing a chance to rediscover who they were before they learned how they were seen by the world.
image courtesy of the artist
Book review by Sage Helene |
Jamie Schofield Riva’s Girlhood: Lost and Found explores the intricate journey that girls and women navigate in a complex world. Through a mix of conceptual imagery, intimate portraits, and written reflections, Riva provides a deeply personal and multifaceted examination of what it means to grow up under the weight of femininity. Her selected images create a unique generational dialogue, illuminating how cultural conditioning and gender norms intersect while probing the limitations imposed on women’s identities. The result is a poignant reflection on the tension between personal self-expression and the external pressures that define womanhood.
In Girlhood: Lost and Found Riva blends her roles as an artist, former model, and mother to create a reflective book that challenges stereotypical narratives shaping girls’ and women’s lives. This work is not just an artistic project but a deeply personal exploration, in which Riva critiques the messages young girls receive about their worth, appearance, and place in society. By examining the limitations imposed on girls from an early age—through language, media, and toys—Riva invites readers to reconsider the subtle social cues that constrain girls’ freedom to fully express themselves.
image courtesy of the artist
Riva’s work also delves into self-perception, particularly the way girls are taught to scrutinize their appearance under the lens of judgment. Through Riva’s lens, however, she reframes how women perceive themselves—not only through their own reflections but also through the reflection of the world. From the moment a girl wakes up to the time she goes to bed, she is inundated with a barrage of conflicting judgments. Is she dressed appropriately? Too much skin, or too little? If she shows too much, she’s labeled promiscuous; too little, and she’s called prudish. What about makeup? Too much, and she’s criticized for not embracing her “natural beauty,” yet too little and she’s scrutinized for a single blemish. Even her fitness is subject to contradiction: exercise, but don’t get too muscular; stay active, but don’t appear lazy. These impossible standards and relentless contradictions lie at the heart of Girlhood.
This internal conflict drives Riva’s exploration of womanhood. She reflects on how both metaphorical and literal lenses are turned on women—through fashion, culture, and the historic male gaze in art. Riva questions whether women’s relationship with their appearance has evolved, contemplating what is lost and what is gained in the process. This inquiry into the tension between self-perception and external expectation adds depth to her examination of the pressures girls and women face in navigating a world of competing demands.
image courtesy of the artist
image courtesy of the artist
One striking photograph from Girlhood: Lost and Found depicts a young girl in a vibrant pink sequined top, her hands timidly folded in her lap. The boldness of her outfit contrasts with her reserved body language, capturing the conflicting expectations for girls to express themselves confidently while remaining polite and subdued. Riva reflects on how girls are socialized to be passive, often suppressing their voices to align with the ideal of quiet femininity. The old proverb, “Children must be seen and not heard,” underscores this societal expectation, reflecting the restrictive roles girls are taught to occupy. Through this lens, Riva reimagines girlhood not as an isolated experience but as a shared journey that connects women across generations.
By incorporating intimate portraits of her daughter alongside her personal reflections, Riva deepens her exploration of gender, identity, and societal expectations. As Riva immersed herself in the project, her perspective shifted, particularly through the lens of motherhood. As she explains, “This work began as a personal journey to discover a way back to the person I was before I learned how the world saw me. But as time progressed, I realized that the larger mirror was my own daughter, and the bigger concern was how to raise her with awareness.” The evolving relationship between Riva and her daughter becomes a central focus in the book, revealing the generational parallels in their experiences.
Through her exploration of girlhood, Riva masterfully intertwines the symbolism of mirrors and camera lenses, illustrating that womanhood is a reflection—a profound interplay of shared experiences. Just as mirrors reveal surfaces and lenses capture depth, women see themselves in each other, reflecting both strength and vulnerability. Despite the ugliness imposed by living in a world that often challenges their existence, Riva creates a lens through which we can view the beauty, resilience, compassion, and authenticity of women. Her work stands as a testimony to the power of embracing one’s true self, offering women the courage not only to see their reflections but to redefine them with patience, grace, and unyielding resolve.
image courtesy of the artist
