I happened across a fascinating article this morning entitle Perk and Work. The feature story of Vogue.com caught my attention with the title, "The audaciously augmented American body, Sally Singer argues, is fashion's latest challenge", not to mention the picture was full of mannequins. So I clicked.
The article goes on to describe how, over the past 20 years or so, the "worked body" has become a new body type and designers are either having to work with it or ignore it. My summary does not do the article justice. It's better to read it in person. And like I first stated, I find it intriguing.
Labeled, mixed media, 8x16click for more detail
This article haunts me to this day and probably always will. The picture of the stunning woman centered with the title above her head, "What makes a woman beautiful?" is burned in my memory. The question is as complex and varied in answer as the question, "What is art?". Who can really define beauty? The Greeks did but even then every culture around the world has a different standard of beauty.
And even as complex as this question is, we all have an answer to it. Be it nature or nurture, every single person breathing has an opinion on the matter.
For this piece of art, I chose not to answer it myself, but to take answers from society. You might remember, Dove's beauty campaign and the several commercials they made to promote positive body image? Most people will quickly recognize the billboards with the plethora of women...all different colors and sizes wearing white undergarments.
Well, I went to the commonplace meeting room of society, YouTube, looked up Dove's commercial and then spent a great deal of time reading the posted comments. Everyone has an opinion.
Those opinions were lifted and slipped into antique label holders to answer that burning question, What makes a woman beautiful?"
Everyone is quick to label beauty. And everyone has been labeled by society.
detail of Labeledclick to read some of the answers
2 comments:
Everyone definetely has an opinion on this one...pretty Sal has stirred the topic in the blogsphere once again...I think it's great. Dove is doing something good- alittle something is always better than nothing non?!
Your piece is so beautiful, if I may use that word! It is a shame that we seem to have this one ideal of beauty pushed upon us by the media, and when looking around that beauty is not common, nor does one see it in most couples. After all finding something beautiful is unique to us all, and we all see beauty in the most remarkably different things. That is the best part of life :)
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