We visited the Superhuman exhibition at the Welcome trust, this exhibition is all about the world trying to be perfect in all ways humanly possible and beyond.
I picked an image that stood out and made a difference to me. I chose Regina Jose Galindo's 'Recortepor la linea' (cut through line) 2005. The image itself is Regina standing naked in front of a crowd including photographers with a leading cosmetic surgeon, drawing onto the body certain cosmetic changes that he'd like to make. The image is a still from a video that was made in Venezuela, the country with the third highest rates of Comestic procedures per capital.
The thing that stands out to me is the way the crowd around her are staring, she is a completely naked lady in a public place, it makes me think what are thinking? are they perving over her naked body, are they looking at it in an artists point of view, are they are there because they have to take photographs or are they there because they want to be? questions I'd really like to know the answer to because looking at their blank faces doesn't give anything away.
To me the women's body looks perfectly normal and beautiful in fact so how is the cosmetic surgeon finding so many faults with it, what is his idea of perfect because it is obviously not the same as mine and i'm sure many others would agree with me. I think possibly this is the point the artist is trying to get across, what is everybody's perception of perfect? why are we always trying to change what we are born with to 'fit in' to society.
This image does not make me feel different about my self, i'm happy just the way I am but I can understand how some people will look at this image and not be happy with what they see within themselves and maybe want to change things, if they see this quite normal woman and feel they don't fit in with her category then of course they are going to have doubts with themselves. something witch is actually really sad because we are all meant to be the way we are born, why do we need to change that?!
I was researching plastic surgery in Venezuela and came across an article in the Guardian about Venezuela's obsession with beauty. It has won more beauty titles in the past 3 decades than any other country and it has been reported that people would go as far as getting bank loans just to afford there boob jobs or tummy tucks! There are a couple of quotes from the article that I thought I'd include within this post that i think fit very well;
"Venezuelan women are vain, but also intelligent, spirited and strong – no one can beat us in a discussion," wrote Khabira, author of the blog Surviving in the Land of the Misses. "We all have our charms and yet we insist on visiting an operating table to enhance our lips or reduce our waist. I can't think of anyone who hasn't gotten 'a little fixing'."
Titina Penzini, author of fashion manual 100% Chic, said: "It is no secret that beauty is a value we will take to its maximum expression."You walk down any street of Caracas at 6am and women will be perfectly coiffured, manicured, pedicured and impeccably made up. People here, from all walks of life, will get into debt for a pair of stilettos or a boob job. Whatever it takes,"
Both from The Guardian, 12th September 2012 ,'Venezuelans obsessed with beauty' .
From these quotes it tells me Women will go to massive lengths in order to fit into this 'perfect' ever changing country around them, the never ending pressure of having no floors or differences. The artist has tried to show the culture and what goes on in Venezuela and is putting across about weather it is except able or not.
Regina is making us think about the world we live in and asking ourselves what we think perfect is?
Below is a link to Regina Jose Galdino's Website and her Recortepor la line ( cut through line ) collection of images;
