Artist Statement:
Imagine living with a constant feeling of having a physical abnormality. Mirrors are reminders.
It starts with a simple thought that becomes all you think about. You spend hours trying to conceal your problems or decide that going outside in public is too uncomfortable. Work, friends, and the hobbies you used to love are no longer enjoyable. You visit doctors and there are no answers or diagnoses.
This has been my experience with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
My body of work is a semiotic representation of my personal struggle with BDD. The imagery often includes my fleshy flustered pink skin tone, my feet and deformed toes, my double and triple chins, and my stomach rolls and guts.
I vary the scale, medium, and quantities in each piece to portray the severity and overwhelming moments that I deal with daily. In my sculptures and paintings I use familiar and comforting materials such as yarn, mirrors, fibers, lard, paper, dirt, and bronze to engage in repetitive processes. These materials and techniques allow me to create an approachability to an uncomfortable and misunderstood disorder.
Statement for Dysmorphic Reflections: an Honors Thesis Exhibition., 2016, solo exhibition, Texas A&M Commerce, Commerce, TX
Tracey Warr, a contemporary art author, writes in The Artist’s Body that recent art history reveals a significant shift in the artists’ perceptions of the body. [1] Warr states that the body is no longer the content of the work but that is has become the canvas, brush, frame, and the platform.[2] Therefore, the artist makes the conscious choice in how they choose to compose or use the human figure. Either they will represent the body in an accurate and realistic approach or they will manipulate or alter the form to better fit their artistic style. Sometimes the visual representation of the human figure used within art, movies, advertisements, and other media outlets may be unrealistic or unachievable to the average person.
I am interested in how these visual representations of the human figure and “beauty standards” can cause an individual to become consumed and preoccupied with their body which causes them to form delusions of imperfections. More specifically, when these delusions become so overwhelming that an individual starts to believe these delusions or perceived flaws as real or are amplified to the point where it impacts their daily life. As a result, an individual may be diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
As an extension of my research for my honors thesis project, I have created a body of work in order to have an exhibition show. The title for my exhibition show is Dysmorphic Reflections: A visual representation of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. My body of work includes seven drawings, three paintings, two installation sculptural pieces, and two interactive distortion mirrors that show a glimpse of how someone, like myself, with BDD may see him or herself or how he or she may feel others may view them. The majority of my work is created on a large scale or in quantities in order to have a presence and demand attention and to signify the overwhelming feeling that BDD has on an individual. The techniques used to create this body of work includes drawing, painting, sculpting, life casting, and mold making.
[1] Warr, Tracey. The Artist's Body. London: Phaidon, 2000, 11.
[2] Warr, The Artist's Body, 11.