Dissertation Synopsis

By Rhonda Wightman

 ‘A Comparison of Paddy Hartley and Alvin Booth in

relation to Body Modification, Sensation, Objectification

and Body Image’.

This dissertation was concerned with certain aspects of the alteration of the human body. The act of altering the body, either temporarily or permanently, which is often referred to as body modification, is a practice that has existed for centuries. The dissertation acknowledged the rich and complex history of body modification but its manifestations in art are too numerous and broad ranging to have been encompassed. The focus of the dissertation was on the works of two contemporary artists Paddy Hartley and Alvin Booth, whose work provided a means to engage with contemporary manifestations of body modification and bodily transformation.

Both Hartley and Booth focus their ideas on the physical manipulation of the body. An investigation into these ideas of body modification led to further questions about objectification of the figure in their works. These questions centred firstly on the subject matter of their works, does it have a purpose or is it simply objectified? Secondly, additive composition to an object explicitly alters appearance, is this what they wished to achieve?

As the dissertation progressed, an enquiry arose as to whether Hartley and Booth purposely aim to derive particular sensations from their audience. Is it the audience who the artist wishes to inflict emotion on, or the person who is acting as the subject? Perhaps the object itself is the visual stimulus. These issues were the subject of the second chapter. Both artists have used various aspects of corsetry throughout recent works. By researching their corsetry ideas, I was eager to conclude if their subject matter truly pointed towards aestheticism hinting on body image ideals. Ideals such as perfectionism, or perhaps expectations of Western society in connection to appearance, were explored in the third chapter, which focused on issues of body idealisation and fetishism.

The work of Booth and Hartley can be seen to contain aspects of fetishism, and bondage and restricted movement are clearly involved. These potentially fetishlike materials within the works created a basis for comparison. A discussion was formed to enquire into the supposed fetishisation of the work produced by these artists.

The desired bodies within the work of Booth and Hartley are reconstructed on the desired body itself. The body is wrapped in the desired skin and detached from the desired body to become the sexual fetish. There is quite frequently a strong emotional aspect to the sexual desires, taking the form of a need for domination or submission - the desire to be controlled, or to control another. Their works are focused primarily on role play in an attempt to reach the other.

Manufacturers take objects which are perhaps unappealing or have a simplified appearance, and manipulate them to appear more interesting and extravagant. By doing this they are playing with the consumer’s mind, heightening sensation by the manipulation of colours and materials and therefore pushing us to forget the product’s initial intent of use - like Booth. We, like the consumer, then have a stronger physical attraction to the image or object as there is a rush of sensations throughout our mind and we forget the real usage that the object provides. The idealised object of desire is unique to each person. All of us, in some way or another, have some sort of either physical or mental inadequacy, the lack perhaps being the desire to experience something that once was, or wanting to experience something that never was. After long periods of fixating on the lack, the fetish develops.

Researching and writing the dissertation has contributed to the evolution of my practice, and in my studio work I have explored in greater depth questions around the perceptions and sensations produced in the audience by the work. Like Booth and Hartley, I aim to encourage and persuade the observer to interact with the work thus becoming part of the installation.

During this engagement between object and spectator, the object’s visual and physical stimulus may manipulate the observer’s perceptions.

Since clothes can be disposed of at will, any desiring body can adorn itself with the charms of the desired body - also the less desirable body, or the body that is prepared to surrender. In the end, the desired itself becomes obsolete. With such depersonalisation and objectification of the natural figure, the erotic appearance is all the more about personal relationship, whereas a fetish can be bought and possessed at will. At the same time, the objectification and the visualisation allow for an unlimited enjoyment. Unlike genital intercourse, the relation with a fetish has no immediate end.

 copyright 2006