Marks Of Obsession: Appearance, Transformation, Pain And The Abject Female Body

<p>Using a conceptual framework, this creative research aims to ignite a conversation in further exploring women’s bodies as they are transformed. The body of work that emerged through creative practice engages in existing discourse on body image and dissemination of ideal images by the fashion system. Through a series of artistic processes that transform images to the point of dissolution, this work questions if women are their bodies and considers how the self is embodied through varied experiences of transformation. The body of work considers images of the female body as abject and, through the lenses of self-objectification, abjection and pain, attempts to comprehend and empathize with the self, as it supports the body to realize dominant social ideals. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Keywords: body, self-objectification, abject, pain, transformation, resilience, damage, polarities, skin, torture, care, pendulum </p>