A seriously worthwhile blog

I have only just found www.any-body.org/ on the net and it is the only one I keep going back to. With submissions from people in the fashion industry and comments on body size, image and beauty, it parallels concepts behind my own artwork.

It seems to be getting worse, the portrayed 'ideal' bodies are getting progressively smaller and unhealthy in a society where, if the current trend continues, in 20 years half the population will be considered obese (according to bbc radio one newsbeat).

In an attempt to attain this so called 'ideal' it seems we are failing. This failure leads to further self-loathing and further dieting/ overeating leading to further failure.

What are we doing to ourselves? As discussed on the Any Body blog, certain regulations are being enforced as to the bmi of catwalk models - how is this going to address the underlying issues? I am in no way pretending to have the answer(s) but in an attempt to highlight the absurdity of this situation, my artwork suggests the consequences of a generation of women trapped within the quest for a perfect body.

When one thinks one is in control in fact we are being controlled, we are being reduced, silenced and forced to fit into an ever-decreasing space whereby we lose the strength and power to speak up against anything. Any body tries to address this problem. I am trying to address this problem. The problem is worsening.

Freedom to create

It all seems to be making a lot more sense to me. The urgent need to create being fulfilled at present with the freedom, time and space to make work as and when I want/need to. I no longer have to time the making of work around other things, in fact I time everything else around making work now. It is giving me the chance to really explore creating work and I am constantly finding ways of visualising how I feel.

I am using materials I find around my here in Cyprus which include cactus spikes and leather and I am collecting everything that is dead and no longer considered beautiful.

In an attempt to create something beautifully appalling to reflect the fragility of life, our inevitable fate trying to question the importance of surface image, beauty and youth when all around and we are dying. This control over our image, our bodies, our politicised vessels keeps us from making changes that would make the world right.

And yet all I do is continue making work about it, is that enough? Will this make changes? Aren't I simply posing questions rather than offering answers? Like this blog, questions. I don't have the answer so the work reflects a/my situation and asks of you to change it or to simply think about it.