Nicole Chase
My concentration is a development of societal beauty standards. The pieces confront the misconception of body image, and how insecurities stem from ideals perpetuated by the media. For women, throughout their lives, these insecurities can create severe body dysmorphia and disordered thoughts. However, my works attempt to transform insecurities from something people are ashamed of to something that can be celebrated.
These insecurities influence how we as people see ourselves.
The use of binary in my pieces demonstrates the hand the media has in our idea of beauty. By displaying the insecurities in binary code, a system that can only be read by machines, it confronts the idea that insecurities are programmed into ourselves. It also displays the robotic way in which we try to achieve the ideals of our society. In addition, drawing directly on the human body makes the concept behind my concentration appear closer to reality. By photographing real people and leaving the photos untouched I am showing how insecurities are as much a part of us as the flesh that makes up our bodies.