Skin flicks

Abstract

The written and artistic part of this thesis are both separated into the two categories of "SKIN" and "FLICKS". The Artistic part of my thesis consists of five artificial skins made on my body, and a series of video tapes of the performance of me making those skins. A number of devices have been built into these skins to provide my body and self with messages and stimuli from the outside. Through the action of rebuilding myself and exposing some of the elements that form me I am physically and materially exploring the nature of subjectivity and constructed self in our society. The video tapes of the performance are representations of both the act of rebuilding myself and my body. They are reflections and criticism of the way women are taught to see and present themselves in our culture. They are the product of my perspective and of a culture of surveillance, pornography and empirical observation. The written part of my thesis deals with the sanctity of making through the two categories of "SKIN" and "FLICKS". The "SKIN" part consists of analysis of the physical properties of skin, its ability to be imitated and its role in material making. It relates our attempt to recreate ourselves to the "rebuilding" of the natural world. It explores through the physical material skin, the value and purpose of material making. The "FLICKS" section of my document explores and examines some of the history of the representation of skin in visual art. This history includes some classical works, Renaissance works, nineteenth century nudes and contemporary films. It also questions the ability of images to represent anything other than skin through a discussion of iconoclasm and its relation to some contemporary critical practices in the arts.