The Gallery of Contemporary Art here at Sacred Heart University has a new exhibit called "Women of a Certain Age and Beyond", which depicts the beauty of women no matter what their age. The artists featured in this exhibit are Dotty Attie, Louise Bougeois, Ann Chernow, Nancy Spero, and Selina Trieff, whose pieces are inevitably very different in style yet each show that a woman's true beauty is more then skin deep and never grows old.

"I found the exhibit very interesting," said sophomore, Noelle Saulnier.

Within this exhibit females are depicted in several different manners from spiders, to ancient goddesses. While looking beyond the surface of each piece it is easy for females of all ages to find something to relate to.

Dotty Attie's piece, "Skin Deep" is easily relatable for females no matter what their age is. Her unique style of combining text with her paintings adds to her theme of stereotypical beauty.

The abstract perfectly described the work as being 28 photos of "the varied and torturous things women will submit to and endure in the name of attractiveness." The text that accompanies these photos reads, "Sometimes a traveler in foreign lands where customs and mores are unfamiliar will find persistence and perusal mean consent."?

"It was intriguing and thought provoking because it made me realize that what I do everyday causes me to conform to society's expectations which goes against my efforts to just be myself," said junior Meghan Polis.

Heels. Perms. Manicures. For years women have been surrendering themselves to these sometimes-painful activities in order to be more attractive and conventionally desirable.

It is because of the preconceived notions of beauty that these paintings depict, several females have daily?? struggles to try and fit in. With such high standards of what it is to be beautiful, it is no wonder that so many females have eating disorders or extremely low self-confidence.

"Each picture seemed like a portrayal of an act that is followed without question?? in most women's daily lives. They are acts that do not necessarily make you any more beautiful and they definitely don't make you a better person," said sophomore Lauren Gibbons.

When it comes down to it, all of the extra effort that females put in to becoming more appealing simply becomes a façade to who they really are. It has developed into a tradition for females to make this extra effort to be like everyone else. It soon turns into what is expected of all women, and those who do not conform to these standards?, ?fail to? be ?accepted as normal.

Skin Deep "really makes a woman question whether they change themselves because it makes them happy or because of the pressures around them," said Saulnier.?

To check out Skin Deep and the other included pieces visit "Women of a Certain Age and Beyond" on display? in the Gallery of Contemporary Art ?through Feb. 28. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is free to Sacred Heart students.