London, United Kingdom
From South-East London.
Self
The focus of my work has emerged from themes exploring identity particularly that of women in today’s image conscious society which has led to my own form becoming the focus of my investigation of the body, image and perception. My work emerged from my personal continual struggle with my body, obesity and my recent pursuit to regain control of it. I use my work to explore the changes in my body, the manipulation of my image and my attempt to come to terms with it. I temporarily lost control of my image through the intervention of the media so I attempt to regain control of my image and of my body itself after drastic changes occurred through extreme weight loss. The image I present of myself reflects upon the psychological struggle that occurs in identifying with my image after my physical form has been altered so drastically.
I allow others to view my body and manipulate its imperfections to the extreme, imitating the folds of my skin and restricting its form through use of materials such as string, cling film and leather belts, drawing the attention to my form, especially my stomach, deliberately, exposing my vulnerabilities as I push past the private emotions I connect to my former and current form to create an interpretation of these issues. I subject myself to physically/visually uncomfortable and often painful processes in order to relay these difficulties in adjusting to the changes within my body. This has become an interpreted phototherapy, as explored by Jo Spence in her work as she responded to being diagnosed with breast cancer. It is also a form of self punishment, for what I have subjected my body to through obesity.
Photography allows me to disconnect from my body and look at it objectively; my body is no longer my form it is my medium. The sculptural element has developed this further as I begin to look at my body as a form, to be moulded, manipulated and cast, introducing a new level of understanding. Process and form are closely linked in my method of investigation, each reacting to the other.
My body is continuing to evolve and the form you see in these pictures no longer exists as surgery has taken it away and still my relationship with my body has not met a resolution and what conclusion I eventually aim to achieve with my body and image is still unclear. Is it possible to reach satisfaction and identification within the perception of the image when it has been so continuously and drastically altered?
a copy of my book "Cast- the sculptural form" featuring a series of my sculptural based images produced in my recent work is available from Blurb at
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2184633
