Artist Klaire Lockheart is not handling the apocalypse well. She has lived through one too many historic events, and she has had it. Instead of lamenting her loss of financial stability, bodily autonomy, and freedom of expression, Lockheart teamed up with photographer Aaron C Packard to create Thunderdomesticity. These photographs are essentially June Cleaver in a Mad Max universe, and they highlight the absurdity of upholding traditional gender roles. Since most dystopian narratives frequently exclude or mistreat people of marginalized genders, Lockheart and Packard chose to primarily depict women and nonbinary protagonists who are dressed for the end of the world. The costumes Lockheart creates acknowledge her skills as a survivor. She references the midcentury American archetype of femininity by beginning with homemaker fashion but then subverts the domestic housewife expectation into something more feral. The repairs and modifications celebrate the practicality of traditional “women’s work,” but the additions of leather and metal indicate subversion. After Lockheart invents and inspires these calamitous characters of carnage, Packard devises the compositions. He photographs the subversive subjects outdoors to underscore the post-apocalyptic narrative, but he devises artificial lighting for the people. The chiaroscuro light and shadows he creates emphasizes the power of these feminist fighters, with the intent to inspire others to survive and thrive.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, Little Parthenon on the Prairie. Archival Pigment Print. 2022. 24x36”.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, Double Barrel Slotted Spoon. Archival Pigment Print. 2020. 24x36”.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, Hero with a Thousand Forks. Archival Pigment Print. 2021. 24x36”.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, Athena in Furs. Archival Pigment Print. 2020. 30x24”.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, Fork Around and Find Out. Archival Pigment Print. 2024. 36x24”.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, June of Arc. Archival Pigment Print. 2020. 36x24”.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, Judith with Chainsaw II. Archival Pigment Print. 2020. 36x24”.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, Night Watch with Maenads. Archival Pigment Print. 2025. 24x36”.
Aaron C Packard and Klaire Lockheart, Judith with Chainsaw II. Archival Pigment Print. 2020. 36x24”.