Girls
Michelle Browne
Leslie A. Golomb

Shutterstock, a company that sells stock photos on the internet, Search, I type in “happy girl”. Hundreds of happy girls with smiling faces flash on my screen in full blazing color. One little girl stands alone in her underwear, scowling and is being offered as a stock photo in black and white? Click, Download I own her for 49 cents.

Next step, Print I bring my 49 ce nt girl in her underwear and show it to Michelle on our Tuesday shared printmaking production day at the local non-profit arts organization that offers rented usage of a grimy 100 year old etching press. We love that press and bought very expensive felt blankets to squeeze through the rickety rollers. When the blankets get dirty we take turns washing them and bringing them back clean for the following Tuesday.

Positioning the clean blankets into the press, Michelle looks at my 49 cent girl and says, “she has a load in her diaper," I protest and say “she is an orphan, maybe a runaway, insecure, lost and lonely, a misfit." Michelle says “she lives in a trailer and her parents are the misfits." She gives her a name, “Betsy." Now that she has a name there is no turning back.

A collaboration based on “happy girls” we claim on Shutterstock and make them our own.