The Body as Object
Each piece of ourselves can be viewed as a fetishized object, standing in as a microcosm for the whole self and by extension the whole universe.
The Sum of the Parts
We have a relationship with each piece of our body. We own it. It belongs to us. It is us.
We might love some parts, and hate others, but each piece is still a part of the whole. Each piece is there for a reason, and it exists exactly as it must in order for us to be as we are.
If we are to fully be ourselves, we must find a way to accept each part of ourselves. The part that is cruel is as much a part of us as the part that is compassionate, and the part we find ugly is as important as the part we find beautiful.
Fetishism is the focus of attention on a single part of the whole, allowing that piece to temporarily take on the significance of the system to which it belongs. The fetishistic state is by definition temporary. The other pieces do not cease to exist; they merely recede so that the fetishized object may become central.
When each piece of the whole is exalted in turn or in tandem, the sum of those pieces when reassembled is that much greater.
"Specimen"
"Specimen" is an installation/performance that I first presented at my home in May 2012, and later presented in a modified form at Antebellum Gallery in September 2013 as well as in a short film by Eric Scot. The piece is inspired partially by stories of alien abductions and alien autopsies, and also by the overt yet alien sexuality of flowering plants (especially the orchid). Photography by Eric Scot and tommy+alan photography.
"Arachnophilia"
