April 8th, 2018: Skin Art maybe NSFW

[xoxoxoBruce]

My friend NAG pointed me to this bizarre creepy art exhibition by Sarah Sitkin who is quite skilled with silicone clay, plaster, resin, and latex.
She does a lot of bizarre pieces you might expect to find in a haunted house. But this show is to me the creepiest.

In her artist statement, Sitkin notes that the concept stemmed from her grandmother’s request to have a mold made of her toes. “Our universal detachment with our bodies leads us through a lifetime of serious divides, between fantasy and reality for what our bodies should and could be,” Sitkin wrote. “I do not believe the body defines who we are. It’s not really the essence of ‘us,’ but functions more like a garment than a persona.”

The bodies that comprise Sitkin’s collection of works are diverse. Some are visibly young, featuring taught muscular definition. Others are showing signs of age in their wrinkles and spots. Some are large; others are small. The bodies tell stories of life experiences, like pregnancy and cancer, but they keep the identity of the owner anonymous. There are no faces attached to these bodies. Instead, there are a few personal details hidden underneath the skin.

The skin suits are intricately detailed in the ways they curve and sag as real human figures do. They’re also canvases on which Sitkin added even more vivid details. She used photo references to paint the multitude of intimate markings that her models bear: freckles and sunspots, surgical scars and tattoos, even the faint lines from where underwear rubbed up against flesh. She also meticulously inserted hair follicles by hand to match the bodies of the models.

A lot of people pass through the exhibition and I assume have diverse reactions of embarrassment, shock, amusement, curiosity,
fascination, or a combination. But I wonder about the people who choose to try one on.
Are they embarrassed to be seen looking naked even though they know everyone else knows they are not?
Do they feel the need to explain why the chose the same or opposite sex, same or different race, similar or opposite body type.



Or maybe the artist chooses people offering them a particular skin. There might still be the previous thoughts plus wondering why
they were chosen and why they were matched to this skin.
Do they crave liver, fava beans and Chianti?
I think I’d like to see this in person.



link