/ artist's statement
My current work developed from the emphasized awareness of my body. In August 2012 I was due to have a gastric bypass, but cancelled the procedure because of the biological and psychological concerns at the 'normalising' extremes I was about to put myself through. I felt a reconciliation with my ‘fat’ identity, and so 'came out' as a fat woman. My experiences of being a fat woman, and investigations of obesity, situates my fat body as an axis for research. I aim for the work to not have a didactic obesity reading, wanting a more subtle approach that offers an alternative paradigm to the subject matter. However, these affecting, autonomous and sometimes amusing artworks allow for an open reading.
I adopt a ‘thinking through making’ approach, using my practice to open up paths of enquiry instigated through my engagement with materials, objects and associative discursive contexts. The found objects and textile techniques explore the internal and external body that question both physical and social elements of tension, control and restriction. The skin and viscera are my main motifs which consist within written research outputs, drawings, textiles and sculpture.
/ bio
Preceding the MA, Rebecca graduated from Plymouth College of Art with a BA (hons), first class, in Fine Art Practices. She has exhibited and presented research papers nationally, with many more commencing in the near future emerging from her MA work.
Rebecca lives in Launceston, Cornwall.
/ contact
/ website
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Rebecca Harris