Do you get fed up of being asked about when you’re going to settle down? If you're going to get married? If you want kids?
Suzanne Heintz did, too. So she decided to settle down…with a family of mannequins. Yes, this is real. ‘It was getting late. Seriously late for a woman my age not to have a ring on her finger,' she's said. 'People said "You’re such a nice girl, why aren’t you married?"
'Even my Mother must have thought she was setting me straight when she said, “Suzy, there’s nobody perfect out there. You just need to PICK somebody, if you’re going to settle down.” I snapped back, “Mom! It’s not like I can go out and BUY a family! I can’t just MAKE it happen!”
But then, I found a way. I bought a beautiful family…of mannequins.'
Over the next decade, Suzanne, who lives in Denver, Colorado, took photos of herself in family poses with her mannequins, cuddling up to her mannequin husband in bed, posing with him and their mannequin kids outside the Arc De Triomphe, putting on that face you see in so many adverts featuring women experiencing supposed domestic bliss.
It's looks ridiculous, but that's the whole point, says Suzanne: ‘The aim is to get people to reconsider their stubborn allegiance to traditional life expectations. I want people to lighten up on each other and themselves, and embrace their lives for who it's made them, with or without the Mrs., PhD. Or Esq. attached to your name.’
At the risk of being perceived as a form of 'Artertainment,' Heintz employs satire because she feels that it is 'crucial to the digestion of what might be perceived as a bitter pill - social criticism'.
And we totally get it. The pictures certainly make you question whether we've become too singular about our notion of what a happy 2.4 family is.
You can see more of Suzanne's work over on her website, suzanneheintz.com, where you can pre-order a copy of her book.
Follow Suzanne on @SuzanneHeintz and like her on Facebook
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.