'Mending' - Final Video For Presentation

Abstract/Rationale

Mending focuses on 'The Body as Document' and investigates the subject of scars; how they map memories on the body and effect body confidence. "An unhealthy body image often contributes to low-self esteem, a negative self-worth and a lack of confidence. Often, scars cause a person to have a negative body image” (scarsandspots.com, 2014). This series challenges the ideal body by exposing and stitching around scars to highlight and dignify them. Everybody has scars; why should people hide them, be embarrassed by them, or think they are somehow less because of them? The stitching symbolises suturing the subject’s confidence back together, provoking thoughts about body image and self-love. Seeing these highly personal features up close, and hearing the stories behind them, can feel like being let in on a secret. By recognising that scars are just memories mapped on your body, helping document your life, people can be inspired to make peace with their physical selves and be confident in their body. “The boundaries of Public and Private and their convergence in the site of the ‘body’ are at once suggested, located and problematised. The body, essentially private as the realm of our most intimate experience, is also public, as spectacle and the medium through which common experience is realised and represented.” (Brettle, J., 1994). The use of black backgrounds make it look as though the subjects are emerging out of the shadows - revealing and reclaiming their bodies. The cropping and deliberate choice not to show faces or obtrusive clothing means that the subjects are left ambiguous, therefore the viewer can more easily envision themselves in the subject’s place. By doing the stop motion stitching by hand rather than digitally, the final outcome looks more like it is happening over time which represents how gaining your confidence back after receiving a scar takes time. I have used different types of stitching to represent the different types of scars; surgical, self harm, accidental, removal, and burn.

Naming My Series

I have decided to name my series 'Mending' as it relates to both the literal reason why people have scars and the more intangible "confidence mending" I am exploring through my project.

Mending

noun
1. The act of a person or thing that mends.

Mend

verb (used with object)
1.To make (something broken, worn, torn, or otherwise damaged) whole, sound, or usable by repairing.
3. To set right; make better; improve.

verb (used without object)
4. To progress toward recovery, as a sick person.
6. To improve, as conditions or affairs.

noun
1. The act of mending; repair or improvement.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/mending

Ideal Mode Of Presentation

I am going to present my final video to my class using the projector in the classroom.

Ideally, if this work were to be properly exhibited, I would have each scar stop motion as a separate video that were either projected onto dark walls or each shown on individual screens in a gallery room. Each video would have a few sets of headphones so that the viewers could listen to the audio of each scar story without the noise from the other videos.

I got this idea from an exhibition I visited at the Pataka art gallery in Porirua in 2013 by Joseph Michael. He had 12 time-lapse photography videos of New Zealand landscapes on large screens around a gallery room. Each screen had headphones that played an original soundtrack that helped immerse you in the video.

http://www.pataka.org.nz/joseph-michael-dark-cloud-white-light/

Bibliography Of Critical Theory Sources

Bolton, Michael A., Ingrid Lobben, and Theodore A. Stern. "The impact of body image on patient care." Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 12.2 (2010): e1-e8.

Brettle, Jane. Public bodies/private states: new views on photography, representation, and gender. Manchester University Press, 1994.

Buxton, Ryan. "Tig Notaro's Powerful Message About Learning To Embrace The Scars From Her Double Mastectomy." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 May 2015. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/04/tig-notaro-double-mastectomy-scars_n_7002686.html>.

D'Angelo, Chryso. "What I Love About My Body." Shape 29.6 (2010): 146. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 28 May 2016.

Foss, Alexandra Heather. "Finding Beauty in Your Scars." Tiny Buddha. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <http://tinybuddha.com/blog/finding-beauty-in-your-scars/>.

Grogan, Sarah. Body image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women and children. Routledge, 2007.

"History of the Nude in Photography in Naked before the Camera at the Metropolitan Museum of Art March 27 - September 9, 2012." The Met. N.p., 22 Mar. 2012. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <http://www.metmuseum.org/press/exhibitions/2012/naked-before-the-camera>.

Jackson, Jason. "3 Reasons to Embrace Your Scars." Web log post. The Leader's Locker. N.p., 4 Nov. 2011. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <https://theleaderslocker.com/2011/11/04/3-reasons-to-embrace-your-scars/>.

Kokosky, Gina. "Why You Should Learn To Embrace Your Imperfections." Web log post. Odyssey. N.p., 13 Oct. 2015. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <https://www.theodysseyonline.com/why-you-should-learn-to-embrace-your-scars>

Lawrence, John W., James A. Fauerbach, and Brett D. Thombs. "A test of the moderating role of importance of appearance in the relationship between perceived scar severity and body-esteem among adult burn survivors." Body Image 3.2 (2006): 101-111.

Lawrence, John, James Fauerbach, and Shawn Mason. "Understanding and Improving Body Image after Burn Injury." MSKTC. Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center, 2011. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <http://www.msktc.org/burn/factsheets/Understanding-And-Improving-Body-Image-After-Burn-Injury>.

Lewis-Smith, Helena. "Physical and psychological scars: The impact of breast cancer on women's body image." Journal of Aesthetic Nursing 4.2 (2015): 80-83.

"'Nude Visions: 150 Years of Nude Photography' Opens at the Museum of Visual Arts, Leipzig." Artdaily.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <http://artdaily.com/news/40268/-Nude-Visions--150-Years-of-Nude-Photography--Opens-at-the-Museum-of-Visual-Arts--Leipzig#.V0mXYFd0hFI>.

Price, Patricia. "Psychology of Scars." Scar Information Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <http://www.smith-nephew.com/awm/scar-info/psychology-of-scars/>.

"Scars and Self-Esteem." Scars and Spots. N.p., 27 Oct. 2014. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <http://scarsandspots.com/scars-self-esteem/>.

Vejar, Cynthia. "Politics Of Appearance." Research Starters: Sociology (Online Edition) (2015): 

Research Starters. Web. 28 May 2016.

Final Video Editing

I have:

• Selected the best/my favourite scars
• Put them in an interesting order so that the different types of scars and different thread colours are mixed up
• Edited the audio so that the cuts are smoother and all of the ambient noises I could possibly take out are taken out
• Sped up some of the extremely long stitching processes so that there are as few silences as possible

Where to from here:

• Do I need a soundtrack (e.g classical) that I can have quietly playing in the background and bring up louder in the silences?
• Title at start

Stop Motion Video Of All 18 Scars

Notes:

• The stitching and the audio/scar stories work best when they're the same length so maybe cut up the audio (only selecting the best bits) if the sound is too long, or speed up the stitching if the image is too long.
• Maybe could put a soundtrack (e.g. classical music, or a song about scars) in the background. Have it quiet when each person is talking and then louder in the silences/gaps.
• The volume levels between each different scar story need to be evened out.

Stop Motion Stitching Session 3

Week 11 One-on-one Feedback

• Don't show all 18 photographs of scars as stop motion videos - choose my favourites/the best to present in Week 12.
• It doesn't really matter that the audio is not that great quality wise (as it was recorded on a phone in the studio because the stories were originally going to be written down). It would be impractical time-wise to bother meeting up with every model and recording them again.
• Glad that I went with analogue stop motion stitching rather than doing it in photoshop.

Stop Motion Stitching Session 2

Stop Motion Stitching Session 1

I used the Copy Camera to take a photo of every single stitch I made into my photographs so that I can put together a stop motion video later.

Inspiring Scar Story/Documentary Project

"We all live with scars of some kind. While some are physical and some are emotional, almost all are irreparable. Time and time again, we choose to bury our scars. We hide our hurt from ourselves and from our loved ones out of fear—Fear that we will be judged, rejected or worse unloved. Instead of giving them air to breath and heal, we live in constant state of shame allowing our wounds to grow deeper. But what would happen if we embraced our scars? What if we wore our truths with pride?"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-radin/scar-story-one-breast-can_b_9775342.html

Which Stitching Technique For Which Scars?

Surgical: Cross
Accident: Sideways Running
Self-Harm: Lines
Cut-Out: Small Running
Burn: Herringbone

Printing Final Photographs

I went to Ink Digital in town and printed my 18 images at A4 size on 210gsm Gloss paper.

Final Photographs

Editing Photographs

The more intense editing (rather than just levels/curves and colour adjusting) that just a few of my images needed (mostly because of using the velvet backdrop rather than a black paper background and also clothing lines):

Before

After
(Backdrop change at bottom of image removed)

Before 

After
(Power cord and the backdrop change halfway down the image removed) 

Before 

After
(Clothing lines removed)

Before 

After
(Clothing lines removed)

Before

After
(Stool leg removed)