Allison, after reading your post I thought of this photo that I found last night on the website for the organization FORCE: Facing the Risk of Cancer, a site for women "fighting hereditary breast and ovarian cancer." I know it's kind of hard to tell from this photo, but this woman, Rebecca, is post-mastectomy. Her rebuilt breasts are either painted or tattooed with flowers. Your artwork involves jewelry, I realize, but your topic broadened to body adornment/art would include the imaginative things women do with their bodies after having drastic breast surgery. I have seen other photos of women who did not have have a breast re-build but had the area of their chest where breasts had been elaborately tattooed. There was even some legal questions raised in California, where such women felt free to go topless in public. It posed an interesting problem to public authorities!
I bet!!! this is great! body painting, henna, tattoos... all are body adornment, piercings, earlobe stretching...and scarification would all be in that category too. The post surgical adornment is a wonderful tangent. Remember Demi Moore on the cover of (?) with her body painted (and she was pregnant) that was just terrific...thank you
Very beautiful. What a creative way to celebrate life. I know that with other life-altering events in life, when I am on the other side of it, I need something to encapsulate the experience. This is a normal thing to do, but I took my wedding rings and had a new ring made. What a cleansing act that was.
Yes, I melted our wedding bands down too. I made them in the first place, from melting our high school class rings, then when we divorced, I made a wonderful triple braided band, as a kind of 'divorce' ring for my other hand! I was not through with gold, just through with him! :) It was meaningful and liberating. I also pierced my ear (myself) with a second hole-- but that is another story... We bring so much meaning into our lives with what we select to place on our most personal spaces- our bodies.
Thanks for responding, Allison & Jenise. I love the idea of a wedding ring melted down and reshaped into a divorce ring. And Allison, I love your comment about gold!
Wow! I am glad that I clicked on the comments...my mom had breast cancer with a complete single mastectomy and she would have loved to have tattoos and/or art to embellish her breast! A beautiful way to celebrate living! If it was tattooed, would it hurt in such a sensitive place? My daughters planned to have bright colors on their ankle tattos, but stopped with black because it was a painful process for them!
Suzanne, it wouldn't hurt if you'd had a mastectomy! But yes, I imagine it would otherwise. I don't know how people get nipple rings and the like. There's a whole subculture of extreme body piercing that slides into s&m for some folks, performance art for others, and sometimes both. It's a very interesting subject. I'm glad you clicked on the comments too!
Allison, after reading your post I thought of this photo that I found last night on the website for the organization FORCE: Facing the Risk of Cancer, a site for women "fighting hereditary breast and ovarian cancer." I know it's kind of hard to tell from this photo, but this woman, Rebecca, is post-mastectomy. Her rebuilt breasts are either painted or tattooed with flowers. Your artwork involves jewelry, I realize, but your topic broadened to body adornment/art would include the imaginative things women do with their bodies after having drastic breast surgery. I have seen other photos of women who did not have have a breast re-build but had the area of their chest where breasts had been elaborately tattooed. There was even some legal questions raised in California, where such women felt free to go topless in public. It posed an interesting problem to public authorities!
ReplyDeleteI bet!!! this is great! body painting, henna, tattoos... all are body adornment, piercings, earlobe stretching...and scarification would all be in that category too. The post surgical adornment is a wonderful tangent. Remember Demi Moore on the cover of (?) with her body painted (and she was pregnant) that was just terrific...thank you
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful. What a creative way to celebrate life. I know that with other life-altering events in life, when I am on the other side of it, I need something to encapsulate the experience. This is a normal thing to do, but I took my wedding rings and had a new ring made. What a cleansing act that was.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the photo!
Yes, I melted our wedding bands down too. I made them in the first place, from melting our high school class rings, then when we divorced, I made a wonderful triple braided band, as a kind of 'divorce' ring for my other hand! I was not through with gold, just through with him! :) It was meaningful and liberating. I also pierced my ear (myself) with a second hole-- but that is another story... We bring so much meaning into our lives with what we select to place on our most personal spaces- our bodies.
ReplyDeleteThanks for responding, Allison & Jenise. I love the idea of a wedding ring melted down and reshaped into a divorce ring. And Allison, I love your comment about gold!
ReplyDeleteWow! I am glad that I clicked on the comments...my mom had breast cancer with a complete single mastectomy and she would have loved to have tattoos and/or art to embellish her breast! A beautiful way to celebrate living! If it was tattooed, would it hurt in such a sensitive place? My daughters planned to have bright colors on their ankle tattos, but stopped with black because it was a painful process for them!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne, it wouldn't hurt if you'd had a mastectomy! But yes, I imagine it would otherwise. I don't know how people get nipple rings and the like. There's a whole subculture of extreme body piercing that slides into s&m for some folks, performance art for others, and sometimes both. It's a very interesting subject. I'm glad you clicked on the comments too!
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