Body Magic at School33 Art Center
Through photography, video, and performance art, my work explores the body and its relationship to fatness, sexuality, and body policing. Calling into question what is abject about fatness, I put the grotesque on display in a way that makes mention of the unrealistic standards set forth by hegemonic society, and how being fat can be a rejection of this pressure to conform.
Fleshy, headless bodies push against the confines of the photo and video frame, zoomed in for a detailed look at these bodies is fetishized chunks in order to define the role of the fat body in today’s society: this body is often desexualized, stripped of individual identity, and put on display for public consumption. By challenging and mocking the ideals placed upon the fat body in contemporary society, this work becomes a symbol of whimsy and resistance. It celebrates aspects of the fat body, emphasizes sexuality, and produces a visual language that borders on fetish.
While my work may not use consistent materials, the methodology and subject matter are the same. I allow the meaning of the work to inform the media I will work in, be it photography, video, animation, installation, or performance. Most of my work consists of multiple small pieces meant to come together under one larger project. This again plays into the deeper reoccurring theme of size and scale as it relates to fatness and its role in culture, which most consistently informs my work and sensibilities. I hope to continue to create work that engages viewers in a variety of ways, both in personal space and via virtual space. I strive to evoke a response, whether it is laughter, sadness, discomfort, or anger. These gut reactions speak to what we see in each other, and what we see in ourselves. This continues to inspire my work as an artist, an activist, and a fat woman in a thin centric society.
Working in the Studio
