Body/Politic installation reflection

I had not done a body cast before, and it was a bit of a strange experience. In a way, it exemplified the body dysmorphia I sometimes feel and the disconnect between fat individuals and what fat bodies are seen to represent. My work with plaster has been very minimal (mostly just one-part molds for ceramics) and so this project was a huge learning experience.

I was much more nervous about setting up my installation than I thought I would be. Inserting my own torso into a public venue left me feeling vulnerable, and I left it until the very last minute. When I went to install my project, I found that the torso was too large to sit on the chair and it toppled over. I quickly remedied this by balancing the stomach against the table, but this resulted in putting the back of the torso and the text attached to it out of view.

I’m not quite sure what the reaction to my installation has been. I have not seen anyone interact with it, but I often see that it has been moved from the chair to the table top, presumably so the chairs at the table can be used. My art, and my torso, is an intrusion on this public space and putting art work in public venues gives you a lot of insight into how art is valued.

If I were to do this project again, I would take more care in the plaster casting stage. It could have been done more successfully and much more neatly. I would also choose more carefully how to place the text on the torso. If I were to do this in a gallery setting, I would set up a table for two to resemble a tea party of sorts.