“Body Dysmorphia”
acrylic on collage of recycled materials on unmounted canvas panel
72”x36”
Currently NFS
A young woman is holding a broken mirror while taking a selfie with a filter that transforms her face into a cat-like creature with ears and unusually large green eyes. Above her head it reads “you is a snack” reinforcing the objectifying effect of the filter. Her bathing suit is reminiscent of Frida Kahlo’s painting The broken column in which she represented her pains and suffering. The white corset holds together her broken column and her open thorax. Frida’s pain was the result of a bus accident, a physical trauma that she depicted in many of her self portraits. Nowadays, with social media, it seems that an entire generation is suffering from a broken column. An intense pain resulting from a distortion of the way they see themselves through the lenses of their phones, a feeling of being permanently under careful examination. “Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BD, but it's most common in teenagers and young adults.” (NHS UK). Even if social media doesn’t cause BD, it can amplify the condition.
Self esteem is a question of balance. Healthy introspection helps us to evolve throughout life. But obsessive scrutiny, looking at oneself on social media or constantly comparing oneself to others, can eventually provoke anxiety and throw people off balance. This leads some to do extreme plastic surgery, damaging their bodies or risking their lives. In 2022, when assessing why patients choose to get cosmetic treatments, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) pointed to social media experiences as a major motivator. The use of video for self-promotion is now so pervasive in society that it creates a constant lens for self-evaluation. This "ZOOM dysmorphia" affects how we perceive ourselves and impacts how we engage with others.
Bathing suit: Frida Kahlo, The Broken Column, 1944 (details)