My current body of work highlights the feminine form. These ideas are based on key elements such as body dysmorphia, beauty standards, skin, folds, excessiveness, bulges, texture, and flesh. Through my work, I explore how these subjects relate to one another, making connections between them and producing pieces that question expression in today’s culture and how we can change our views on our bodies. I attempt to celebrate and liberate rather than conceal the real issues and sensitivities we have with our bodies by focusing on themes like body confidence and acceptance in my work. I’ve always been fascinated by how the naked body has been portrayed in culture and art, and it’s a recurring theme in my work. My project’s core values are empowerment and the beauty of the human body in all its variations.
In my piece, The Fabrications of Acceptance, I wanted to examine the notions of folds within the body and the cultural pressure society places on people’s perceptions of their own bodies. By designing an immersive space, the audience is drawn to want to spend time literally being immersed in the work and participating in it rather than just viewing it. The area is given a more unstructured appearance by covering it with fabric sheets, which eliminates the space’s masculine features like its harsh angles and hard lines. As much as this piece has stemmed from my own personal journey with negative body image. But I feel it’s important to incorporate other people into my work as my concept is an international issue. Another way I did this was by collecting all the fabrics used in this piece from various women, which allowed me to connect more with them and women in general. I want to make sure the audience feels included in some way with the subject, anyone can struggle with issues I have covered, like myself, so I want everyone to feel a sense of safety with the space. Speaking of safety, the environment I have built is meant to create a feeling of acceptance, liberation and calm and comfort, a place where there is no judgment. Harking back to people’s childhoods of building forts, creating that safe space for you to spend time in. In this piece, I allowed the fabric to fold and move naturally when pinned up. For this, I was looking at the artwork of Robert Morris, whose piece “Anti-form” examined how felt material folds naturally. I wanted to include this component since I am also working with fabric. In this way, the fabric may represent both the idea of the body and the body’s representations on some of the cloth. To add my personal spin, I incorporated bulges in various locations behind the fabric pieces on the wall. In the space, there are two fabric pieces hanging from the ceiling, draping down, giving off this heavy, weighted effect whilst it’s also a metaphor for carrying the weight of negative comments and negativity towards one’s body.
Diana Rapoport | Fine Art
