An artwork series by Sasha Slivinski
“Your confidence inspires me.” versus “You’re showing too much!”
“I wish I had your body.” versus “You need to eat more.”
“Show me more!” versus “Who are you trying to impress?”
“You’re a strong, independent woman.” versus “Do you respect yourself?”
“Why stay in college? You could make it big!” versus “Good luck landing a career.”
I am bombarded by opinions of all kinds on a daily basis. None are fact. The only fact is that this body I have is my own. My own to show or be as conservative with as I desire, my own to take care of as best as I see fit, and my own to present to the world.
I choose to embrace complexity, and not shy away from it simply because people don’t understand. I am who I choose to be, regardless of my outward image and how I present myself to the world.
Feminism has always been a complex subject for me. I grew up in a conservative family, and while I retain many of the morals and values I was raised on, I have come to embrace many ideas and aspects of feminism, including sex positive feminism. More than ever, I feel that my views and opinions need to be expressed. So in this project I choose to embrace my own complexity as well as the complexity of the feminist movement.
The female form, breasts and all, speaks to my outward confidence and comfort in my own skin. The text over the “explicit” parts of the female form is to address the voices that seek to criticize my body, my integrity, and my morals.
I am a student. I am a model. I have self-worth. I have self-confidence. I have fears. I have insecurities. I am a woman.
Bibliography
Alvarez, A. C. (2017, April 18). Bend It Like Benglis. The New Inquiry. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://thenewinquiry.com/bend-it-like-benglis/
Kruger, Barbara. Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You.. 19 Sept. 2021-24 Jan. 2022, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.
Ratajkowski, E. (2021). My body. Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company.
