The Full Body Project

Matisse Circle

In another attempt to make myself appear worldly and cultural (a persona I won’t be able to keep up for long…), I present to you more brilliant fat photography: The Full Body Project by Leonard Nimoy.

In the artist’s words:

This current body of work is a departure for me. For a number of years, I have been producing images using the female figure. I have worked with numerous models who were professional people earning their living by posing, acting, dancing, or any combination thereof. But, as has been pointed out to me in discussions at exhibitions of my work, the people in these pictures always fell under the umbrella of a certain body type. I’ll call it a “classic” look. Always within range of the current social consensus of what is “beautiful.”
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These women [in The Full Body Project] are interested in “fat liberation.” They hold jobs in the theater, the film industry and in business—and together they perform in a burlesque presentation called “Fat Bottom Revue.”
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Their self-esteem is strong. One of them has a degree in anthropology and will tell you that ideas of beauty and sexuality are “culture bound”—that these ideas are not universal or fixed, and that they vary and fluctuate depending on place and time. They will tell you that too many people suffer because the body they live in is not the body you find in the fashion magazines.
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With these new images, I am now hearing different words. Sometimes “beautiful,” but with a different sub-text. I hear comments, which lead to questions. The questions lead to discussions—about beauty, social acceptability, plastic surgery, our culture and health. In these pictures these women are proudly wearing their own skin. They respect themselves and I hope that my images convey that to others.

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It’s a wonderful project, with many of the photographs looking so joyous. Clickety click your way over there.

The NY Times did an interview with Nimoy about this project, his work in general and the size acceptance movement. The bulk of the article is rather good, if you’re able to ignore the totally unnecessary sentence “He doesn’t necessarily find them sexually attractive.” THANKS FOR CLEARING THAT UP, NY TIMES.

All pictures reproduced with permission courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

The Adipositivity Project

© The Adipositivity Project

You must must must must MUST check out the the amazing Adipositivity Project.

Adipositivity is a photography project that captures the everyday fat woman, with all her folds, bumps and dimples, and celebrates her. The photos are beautiful and each has a different tone - sexy, jubilant, tranquil - yet all the pictures feature the strength and confidence of the woman photographed.

© The Adipositivity Project

In the words of Substantia Jones, the brains and talent behind the Project:

MISSION:

The Adipositivity Project aims to promote size acceptance, not by listing the merits of big people, or detailing examples of excellence (these things are easily seen all around us), but rather, through a visual display of fat physicality. The sort that’s normally unseen.

The hope is to widen definitions of physical beauty. Literally.

The photographs here are close details of the fat female form, without the inclusion of faces. One reason for this is to coax observers into imagining they’re looking at the fat women in their own lives, ideally then accepting them as having aesthetic appeal which, for better or worse, often translates into more complete forms of acceptance.

The women you see in these images are educators, executives, mothers, musicians, professionals, performers, artists, activists, clerks, and writers. They are perhaps even the women you’ve clucked at on the subway, rolled your eyes at in the market, or joked about with your friends.

This is what they look like with their clothes off.

Some are showing you their bodies proudly. Others timidly. And some quite reluctantly. But they all share a determination in altering commonly accepted notions of a narrow and specific beauty ideal.

I love this project because they are just regular women. Not plus size models. Not in the public eye. Not perfect. And there are, unfortunately, very few opportunities where we can observe what a wonderfully imperfect body looks like.

© The Adipositivity Project

The anonymity in the photos, as Substantia said, do allow us to imagine the fat women in our lives. They also allow us to imagine ourselves. If we can look at one of Adipositivity’s rolly, dimpled bodies and see that it is beautiful, then it stands to reason that we can look at our own rolly, dimpled bodies and see ourselves as beautiful. How revolutionary is that?!

New photos are uploaded regularly, so make sure you keep the page bookmarked.

This is my favourite one so far. © The Adipositivity Project

Adipositivity also has a shop, as does Substantia, and one (or more) of you should buy me this fabulous apron and/or this water bottle.

All pictures reproduced with permission.