Sarah Augusta Learning Self-Defense (I am Unbeatable)

Donna Ferrato, American, born 1949

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2013

Archival pigment print

Image: 12 × 18 1/16 in. (30.5 × 45.8 cm)

Sheet: 20 × 24 in. (50.8 × 61 cm)

Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Bruce Sanford

2014.104.5

Geography

Place Made: United States, North America

Period

21st century

Object Name

Photograph

Research Area

Photograph

Not on view

Inscriptions

Signed and inscribed, on reverse, lower right, in black ink: Donna Ferrato / Sarah Augusta / learning self-defense / 2013

Label

Here we see Sarah—a survivor of domestic violence—smiling as she enjoys her training in a gym with her boxing partner. The writing on the wall above her offers words of encouragement as the two women demonstrate their strength and confidence in a stereotypically male-dominated space. Young girls are more than twice as likely to drop out of sports after hitting puberty, citing reasons such as body confidence, social pressure, and feeling unsafe. These girls miss out on participating in sports but also on opportunities to learn self-defense and gain some level of physical strength. Working against gender stereotypes and expectations, Ferrato’s image reclaims this space through its composition and the women’s joyful expressions.

From the 2025 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 123, Elegantly Violent: Exploring Masculinity and Gender Expectations within Women’s Sports, curated by Josephine (Josie) Harrison ’25, Mellon Special Project Intern

Exhibition History

A Space for Dialogue 123, Elegantly Violent: Exploring Masculinity and Gender Expectations within Women’s Sports, Josephine (Josie) Harrison ’25, Mellon Special Project Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, April 5 - May 25, 2025

Constructing Gender: Works from the Hood Museum of Art's Collection, 1500 to the Present, Harrington Gallery Teaching Exhibition, ARTH 2, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 28-April 22, 2012.

Provenance

Bruce Sanford, Madison, New Jersey; given to present collection, 2014.

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