Anxious body:
The relationship between the female body, food, gaze, and social status was explored with the act of gluttony as the starting point.
The act of gluttony is actually a spiritual salvation to redress the gap between deficiency and perfection by constantly taking in food after I realized the gap between the actual self and the ideal self. When appetite evolves from a physiological need into a psychological one, food has became a symbolic carrier and a symbol of power.
But body, as a container of food, is no longer a kind of organism, but a linguistic sign just like identity that carries and reflects the relationship between the decent behavior, politics, and power of a society. Hence it has become a social place. The way we watch and are watched has affected our identity as a social being. It demonstrates the convoluted relationship between vision control and power in society.
This combination between beauty and suppression has become a harsh act of violence. Body itself has become an offering in the sacrificial ceremony and is experiencing a “perfect” yet painful revival.
Yujie Cao
|
