Sculpture Experimentation

As well as working with the girls, I wanted to explore other areas and create some genereal stomach sculpture experiments too.

I started by doing this by creating a clay stomach, attached to a mannequin. This was then covered in plaster to make a mould.

When dry I poured plaster, wax and chocolate into the mould to create casts which worked surprisingly well.

Even though I was happy with the outcome, I felt the modrock casts worked alot better displaying the individuals exact unique body parts.

Body Distortion

As many of the individuals I have been working with see themselves completely differently to how others perceive them, I decided to create a distorted photoshoot to portray this idea.

Each of the subjects stood infront of a distorted cardboard mirror, displaying the part of their body they do not like.
The majority of body part sincreased in size, resulting in an 'oversized' illusion, looking rather big and wobbly in specific places.

The photoshoot was quite comical as the subjects could see how emphasised their shapes were, even though they knew they didn't look that particular way, however they do see themselves a lot larger than what they actually are.

The subjects were laughing as they could see the strange even 'grotesque' images from a different angle to where I was photographing them.

 

Dissatisfied with thighs

Subject does not like her stomach area

Unhappy with Stomach and Backside/Back of legs

 

 

 

Dissatisfied with Feet and Breast Area

 

Body Image Continued

This body of work is a continuation from my previous project, interacting with the individuals who took part and allowed me to understand and discuss why they felt unhappy with their body shape and size.

As I wanted to explore other materials throughout this module, I decided to use photography only as development work and experiment with body casting to create my final outcome.

Three out of the seven girls were comfortable taking part in a body casting process, having modrock plaster bandage cast the area they did not like.

A close relative also offered to take part, in total casting 6 different body parts from the individuals altogether.

The process took place at my home, being a comfortable environment and each cast took around an hour and a half to create as well as drying time.

Many of the girls explained it was a soothing and relaxing process and were happy to come back if they were needed again, some said it was therapeutic.

Whilst the casts were drying, myself and the subjects had another conversation of why they felt the way they did, each of them explaining reasons which were displayed in their previous survey.

After the casting process had finished, I allowed each of them to view their previous photographs oft their bodies, seeing themselves in a different perspective compared to looking in the mirror.

I asked them to write down what they thought of their bodies and how they saw themselves, wondering if they would think differently.

They were also asked the same question after looking at their own body cast, some of them explaining they looked 'smaller' and 'thinner' to what they initially thought.

I was very pleased with these comments as I wanted the girls to see themselves in a positive light. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Outcome

 

As I was very interested in the results as a whole from the responses collected, I became interested in displaying my outcome in a table that portrayed this, considering a pie chart plinth, representing the parts of the body each person was dissatisfied with, out of the 100 who took part.

I wanted to display the results alongside something else which would display the 'ideal' body, so I decided to fix a mannequin in the centre of the pie char plinth as many women explained during the project they felt as though they needed to be that size as that is the only representation of the female body that surrounds us within our everyday lives.

The mannequin was spray painted to inform the viewer of this 'airbrushed perfection' displayed within the media, making the average person feel Inadequate.

Each section of the pie chart was painted individually with acrylic paint, using masking tape to separate each of the percentage sections without the paint bleeding.

 

 

Computerised result of what the Pie chart Plinth would look like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experimentation

As well as working with the individuals, I wanted to create some other art work alongside the photographs, including sculpture and painting.

These pieces were based on the survey results and the areas the majority of people were unhappy with, creating different size casts based on the number percentage of how many people did not like this certain body part.

To create the mixed media paintings, I layered up survey responses, magazine images and articles, acrylic paint, permanent marker and bold text.

I enjoyed exploring these materials, however I felt the previous photographs were a lot stronger and represented my initial idea in an effective way.

 

Sculpture Experiments

 

Mixed Media Experiments

 

 

Black and White Photoshop Manipulations

 

 

 

Above are my chosen black and white experiments which I feel work a lot better than the original projected images, only displaying text around the areas which the subject is unhappy with.
The original images have a green tinge to them, creating a distraction to the viewer, however these photographs above highlight the particular areas commented on within the survey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body Image

Body Image

 

As I was pleasantly surprised with the responses I received for my Identity project, I wanted to carry on interacting with the audience for this body of work.

I created a Survey which I sent out via Facebook to the general public, asking them questions how they felt towards their body, these questions were;

- How do you feel about your body?

- Are you very self concious when it comes to your body?

- What part of your body do you like the most?

- What part of your body do you dislike the most?

- Why do you feel this way?

- Do you care a lot about your image?

- Are you influenced by the media when it comes to your appearance?

- Do you feel they portray the 'Ideal' body image in the wrong way?

- Do you notice a lot of advertisements influencing you to change your body?

- If so, what is the most predominant.. Television, Billboard, Magazines and Newspapers or all of the above?

I explained to each person the survey was sent to that the answers would be completely anonymous so they could write how they truly felt.

I received 100 responses after a week, each displaying varied feedback, many of them negative towards their bodies.

Another message was later sent out, asking for any individuals to come forward and help develop my project by taking part in a couple of photoshoots, displaying the parts of their body they were unhappy with.

Seven girls replied and were more than happy to get involved, having their survey projected on to their 'nude' bodies.

Four of the seven girls were friends of mine, however I did not know the other three quite so well.

It was very interesting getting to know all of the individuals and become aware of why they felt the way they did, having discussions of why they felt so negative towards their appearance.


Each of the girls who took part have stayed anonymous to the viewer within the images, only capturing their bodies from their neck down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Projected Survey Photographs: