Touch project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s8WQttLIvw

“But the skin is also alive, breathing and excreting, shielding us from harmful rays and microbial attack, metabolizing vitamin D, insulating us from heat and cold, repairing itself when necessary, regulating blood flow, acting as a frame for our sense of touch, aiding us in sexual attraction, defining our individuality, holding all the thick red jams and jellies inside us where they belong.”

Reading the above portion of “A Natural History Of The Senses” by Diane Ackerman inspired me to create this video. Throughout the duration of the video, I rub red jelly (imitating blood) all over my face, chest, and arms creating a feeling of oneness between what lies inside, to the outer shell we call “skin”, also somewhat in rebellion to Ackerman’s words and the general consensus that blood belongs inside of the body. In the background, you hear the melody of a beating heart, to represent the pumping of blood to the body. I’ve always been fascinated with abject art. Abject refers to the reaction one might have when confronted with any part of the body that has been dismembered or any excrement from the body such as blood within an art piece. Seeing our bodies as fragile and dismembered as not part of a "whole" anymore sometimes leads to this feeling of horror, and brings up feelings of loss of control, or vulnerability referred to here as an Abject response. It can be viewed as somewhat disturbing or grotesque, but it speaks volumes about the way our generation yearns for beauty, or "wholeness", and how this is not realistic or true.

 

“Loose ends on one’s head signal loose ends in one’s life. From this point of view,which has been popular for ages, a woman grows her hair long but keeps it tightly controlled in a bun, under a hat or scarf, or with hair spray, and lets her hair down only in private at night.”

I’ve always been intrigued by this somewhat old fashioned idea that a woman “lets her hair down at night” and keeps it either covered or controlled during the day, or around others. This dates back to ancient times when Greek women for example were expected to wear head coverings if they were a respectable woman, even historical wall paintings show men with their heads uncovered, and women wearing some sort of head band, or head covering to hide their hair. Even still today in some religions require women to wear head coverings. I personally embrace my hair in all of its wild nature, and appreciate it as a way to express my individuality. Ackerman’s statement about women letting their hair down at night inspired me to take these photos, in an intimate setting and in a relaxed pose to symbolize this concept and the history behind it.