ART AND THE BODY

concepts of the body in art has been something that has been explored by many artists, and as Heartney says in 'art and today' began performance art and also a readily avalible material for artists to use, test and experiment. the body gives us an insight into ourselves and others, our social and moral ideals, values what we find acceptable, unnerving and where we draw boundries or push them to the limits. It is a subject matter that i'm sure all artists have or at some point will explore, and one that i have also looked into in the past. Last year i created some sculptures realating to the body, 'Stress' is a head carved from airated concrete with hands pulling apart the back of the skull to reveal a rope which comes down and forms a noose around the neck. 'be ever watchful' a mirror placed behind an eye which is looking through broken slates of a cupboard explored the idea of ones sence of self in regard to how one is viewed/ that no matter how alone one might think they are even in their most private moments there is always a sense of being 'watched'.