An artist's perspective on body image, the media, and contemporary society.

The purpose of The Body Image Project is to help in the fight to change the way we look at ourselves and at others. By using the human body as subject matter, I am trying to focus on aesthetic appreciation of the human form and to deal with self-worth by exploring the concept of beauty. Unfortunately, our culture has become obsessed with the image and keeping up appearances. Furthermore, we are letting the so-called beauty industry and corporate America define reality for us, and encouraging body hatred is an extremely lucrative business. But there are more valid and health-promoting ways to define beauty and reality. We must educate ourselves to recognize that advertising is not a slice of reality. We need to quit giving other people permission to define who we are and what we are worth. We need to begin to see healthy bodies as the ideal, and we need to make clear that good health is not defined by size; it is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. Change can happen, but it will take a concerted effort by many people. This project needs your help.