Body Politics

The below scans are of the notes people left in the “Made In China” drawers this past Friday and Saturday.

I will be checking the drawers again this weekend and will post them as they come to us.

I did not include one that was a link to a porn site.  I figure they get enough exposure. 

(click the images to enlarge them)

The above image is of “Made in China”
Medium: wood, lotus shoe, linen and silk bandage, cotton gauze bandage with human blood, frame with three images related to foot binding.

Some of the comments:

My God you are so right about how we measure ourselves in ways that only matter to the outside and ignorant observer, love & beauty can only be seen w/a heart.

~*~
I don’t own any uncomfortable shoes - only comfortable ones.  I love being able to run or jump any time I want.

~*~
I wish I could love you.
I wish I could save myself
This work is perfect
and relative
and beautiful
because it’s reaching.
Take my hand.

~*~
To be beautiful should never be painful

~*~
We are shocked at bound feet today & wear fuck-me pumps.  How far have we really come?  Bound feet appealed to men because the woman was helpless.  Same with the pumps.  What pain women will take to be desired.

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Thank you for participating!

The Body Politics exhibit has three torsos that Tammy made - a male, female and pregnant torso.  She’s painted them with chalkboard paint.  Will photographed them Saturday night May 10th and I’m posting them here for you to see.  They have been erased and we will photograph them again either Thursday or Friday night and erase them again, so fresh input can be put on them by visitors.

Thank you for participating with Body Politics!

(click an image to enlarge it)

DVincentW of Youtube has put up a video of some of the work at Artomatic.  Tammy’s work is on the video.  Just thought I’d share.

See the video HERE.

Tammy and I plan on being there to meet with visitors at Artomatic in our exhibit on Friday the 16th from 7-10pm.

I’ll post photos of the interaction with our exhibit we took Saturday night as soon as I feel a little better.  Hopefully tomorrow.

Here is a positive Postsecret from the Mother’s Day batch Frank posted this week.

I think it’s very hard for women to get past things like this. It’s not something that is considered sexy. But does it mean she should be ashamed? Should she regret?

Like all of us, her body is a landscape shaped by her life.

I’ll bet she’s a great mom. If she has sons, I’ll bet they would be great to my daughters.

If she has daughters, maybe they will love their bodies.

Tammy will be at Artomatic tonight working her volunteer shift.  It’s not looking promising for me though to come by for opening.  Mom duties are a bit overwhelming with the end of the school year wrapping up.

I will be at Artomatic tomorrow - Saturday - from noon to 10pm.  I will be doing my volunteer work so I may not be by our exhibit much. 

If you do come by, be sure to check out the mosaic work on the back side of the Body Politics exhibit - the woman on the other side of our little wood wall has some very nice mosaics.  Also, on the wall near the elevators is a huge painting of a woman and an octopus that I love.  There are lots of other cool things too, but I’ve been so busy while there I haven’t had time to look around more.  I guess I’ll make up for that tomorrow!

Tammy and I are really hopeful that people will participate and interact with the exhibit.

(click to see larger image)

The image above is of one corner of the extra wall Tammy and I put up.  This part is meant to be interactive.  See all those little cards of paper and the ones sitting on the chair?  Please leave comments, thoughts or little bits of your own ideas, rage, prayer - just whatever you think about the photos, the women in the photos, your own body.  Write it down on one of the cards and clothespin it to the wall.  There are plenty of pens hanging on the chair and the wall and clipboards to bear down on.

(click to enlarge)

Those are clay torsos by Tammy Vitale that have been painted with chalkboard paint - which means they have a surface you can write on, and that’s exactly what we want you to do!  Come to Artomatic (we are on the 9th floor) and pick a piece of chalk out of that little box hanging on the wall and write on the torsos.  The question is “Does size matter?”  Too fat?  Too thin?  Boobs too small?  Penis too short?  Does size really matter?  If so, why?  How? 

The writings left behind will be photographed throughout the time they are exhibit and erased and the photos will be posted here.

(click to enlarge)

This is “Made in China” and its a piece I created about foot binding.  This piece is also interactive.  In the little box below it there are small thin pieces of paper you can write you thoughts on and roll them up, tie them with string and tuck them into the tiny drawers.  Next to the art is information about Chinese foot binding.

And don’t forget to bring some “Skinny Jeans” you’re ready to let go of and hang them on the clothesline!  Bring those jeans that you keep swearing you’re going to sqeeze into and leave them behind!  Be happy with yourself for the beauty you are now.  You ARE good enough!

I’ve made these jeans with weight loss ads and sad little bits off of the internet from pro-anorexic websites and such.  You can make any kind of art out of your jeans, write on them, write a letter and tuck it into your pocket and hang them up.  You can even write a letter about why you can’t let go of your skinny jeans and hang it on the line if you want to.

Hope to see you there!

Posted on May 08, 2008

Local artists Tammy Vitale (left) and Heather Bartlett are set to unveil their work of art titled “Body Politics” on Friday at Artomatic, Washington DC’s annual art event.

CALLAWAY, Md. — Local artists Heather Bartlett and Tammy Vitale are set to unveil their work of art titled Body Politics on Friday at Artomatic, Washington DC’s annual art event. But, according to Bartlett, their display is as much a political statement as it is a work of art.

Body Politics addresses self-image, self-worth, and submission to standard ideals of beauty and how they affect our perceptions of our own bodies.

“A woman’s spirit, her sense of confidence and self-worth, may be broken by repetitive messages that tell her she isn’t good enough the way she is — poisonous messages with no higher purpose than to generate demand for self-improvement products. In this age of technology the exposure to these critical messages is nearly constant,” said Bartlett. “Body Politics addresses that inescapable bombardment and its effects.”

Bartlett explained that she and Vitale were inspired to create the display after personal, life-long struggles with their own self-esteem based on perception of their own body image.

“I want other people to have a positive body image,” Bartlett told somd.com. “Marketing tends to make girls feel inadequate. Sometimes that thinking rules your life, rather than focusing on happiness and accepting yourself as who you are.”

Bartlett said she met Vitale in January via the local art scene. The two women were an instant match after realizing they had similar political and social philosophies. Body Politics is their first collaborative effort.

Bartlett said the pair designed the overall display so that it would be interactive with the viewers.

One display is titled, Farewell to Skinny Jeans. The artists invite the public to hang a pair of their old jeans that they haven’t been able to wear in years. People are encouraged to write a message on the pants that conveys a farewell to the idea of being skinny. “Pull those jeans out of the closet and get a big fat marker and write a farewell message right on them,” said Bartlett.

Bartlett sounded uncertain when hypothesizing about the success of the display.

“When you create a project like this, you never know the public will respond,” said Bartlett. “We’re hoping it will resonate with a few people.”

Another display created by Vitale titled Does Size Matter involves three clay human torsos: a man, a pregnant woman, and a “generic” woman. The women are providing erasable marker so viewers can write their impressions of the body images presented by the torsos. When the torso has been completely filled with writing, the artists plan to photograph them and post the photos to their website, before erasing the torso to allow room for the comments or others.

Perhaps the idea with the most visual impact is one the ladies call Made in China. The display involves several images depicting the perverse, now outlawed, practice of foot binding.

Read more on Somd.com…

Artomatic for the people

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

NEWS OF NOTE

Sara K. Taylor

Southern Maryland artists Heather Bartlett of Waldorf and Tammy Vitale of Lusby will have their work on display from May 9 to June 15 during Artomatic, Washington D.C.’s annual art event.

Bartlett and Vitale will exhibit works from their interactive art project Body Politics, a major collaboration series that addresses self-image, self-worth and submission to standard ideals of beauty and how they affect body perceptions.

Read the rest in the Maryland Indpendent…

It has been quite busy at the Hardy-Bartlett ranch preparing for Artomatic.

Tammy and I have space together for Body Politics, but she also has her own space right next to our joint space.  She’s all set up folks!  Check it out! (click photo to enlarge)

I am still working on putting together our joint space.  Already up are the chalboard torsos - which Tammy made.  I will be mounting a box of chalk nearby for people to write on the torsos.  The torsos will be photographed and erased throughout the month.

I am working on finishing up several pieces that are all in various stages of complete.  I finished the painting I wrote about in the previous blog.  It took about four days to get it the way I wanted it.  When it was done I was very happy with the result.

I went out looking for just the right tiny cabinet to put my lotus shoe on for a collage - but alas did not find what I wanted, so I will use a simple pedestal instead - which was my originial idea.

It’s been wonderful seeing things that have been in concept for a while finally make it to 2D and 3D format. 

The message of this exhibit is so important to me - and I know it’s important to Tammy too.

Part of me really REALLY wants to put up photos of what I’m working on, but the rest of me wants it to be a surprise for Artomatic.  Sooooo…what I’ll do is take a photo when everything is all up and ready to go.

If you are interested in participating in Farewell to Skinny Jeans, write your farewell to them inside or on or the jeans or in a note in the pocket - or sew it on - be creative if you want - and bring them by the exhibit and hang them up.  If you can and want to, take a photo of yourself and email it to us at heather (at) allzah.com. 

Be your BEAUTIFUL SELF!

I have a list hanging on the mirrior in my studio of the art projects I feel I must finish for Artomatic.  Some have been in various stages for some time, waiting for me to quit my writing (which never happens) and some are near completion.  Others - well….I’ve only just begun.

The thing about working in inspired frenzy like this is I am constantly inspired again and again.  While doing research for my “Foot Binding” piece I am working on I came across one of the topics I’ve been blogging about since around 1998 - Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also known as female circumcision - and I started painting about ten minutes after I read a blog and saw a photo.  It just moved me.

My sincerest wish is that the Body Politics project will have a positive impact on at least a few people.