Infliction
Artist Statement:
This collection of work is an exploration through the various stages of self-objectification in the female body. Self-objectification is described as a psychological process in which a person views themselves as a physical object first, and a human being second. This can also be interpreted as the person who suffers from self-objectification beginning to exist outside of themself, experiencing the world from a dissociative state. My interpretation of this experience is that instead of living presently, there is a physical barrier that keeps oneself from existing completely. The barrier that separates me from reality is the constant worry about my body and how it determines my value. This psychological experience traps a person in a constant state of anxiety in which they are more worried about how they are perceived above everything else.
I visualize this phenomenon as if I am living behind barriers that keep me from being complete. In these photographs, I use physical barriers like glass and fabric to illustrate how a person living with self-objectification exists. While these aim to hide the human figure, feelings of objectification are actually quite vulnerable as if exposed to the world. Women's bodies begin to be separated from the person and are objectified and judged on appearance, sexually and socially. As women, we no longer see ourselves living through experiences and moments in time, but instead, shift our focus on how our bodies appear.
Creating these images was a cathartic experience in my journey of healing from self-objectification. The phenomenon has affected me for years and manifested itself into depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and various eating disorders. These pieces aim to shed light on the experience many women deal with unknowingly. It also aims to show others the effects of judging others' appearances and bodies.
Featured In: Bachelor of Fine Art Photography Exhibition, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT 2023