Influenced by Susan Sontag, Maggie Nelson and Elaine Scarry, ‘The Art of the Body’ by Alexander Allison has perhaps been my fastest read yet. Not that there’s any race with reading, but sometimes, it’s so impossible for me to put a book down, that even when making dinner, I’ll prop a book open and this is what happened to me during this further week of lock down 2020. ‘The Art of the Body’ is a book about a woman, Janet, who cares a lot. She cares about what people think of her, she cares about the opportunities she’s wasted, she cares about the hurt she’s caused. But Janet is also paid to care – she’s responsible for the welfare of Sean, a young artist, living and working with Cerebral Palsy. The story explores dignity and art through an intimate examination of bodies at their most vulnerable. It’s a tale of all that really matters, the relationship between art and the body, becoming intimate with a body in a non sexual way, at times it’s an uncomfortable read but it’s so finely written and so resonant now. Sometimes, as artists, when our brief is so specifically limited, the art that we create becomes immensely affecting, so deft and the ultimate release. Whether you’re disabled or able bodied, art is a life-changer. Stay well, stay safe, stay at home.
Thank you to all the talented artists for submitting your works to our showcase this week. If you would like your work to be considered for entry in to our weekly Mobile Photography and Art Flickr Group, please submit it to our dedicated group, here. You can also submit images to our Instagram tag for this section #mobilephotographyandimagery.
mitrydate, @iamerikabrown, @robertamitchel9675, @klimtt – M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, @remintrusions – Damian De Souza, @dinalf – Dina Alfasi, @nat.viola, @rodolfo.alcaraz, @claretaylor_ct, Filiz At, Jane Schultz, Susan Latty, Eliza Badoiu, Jennifer Graham, Ece Mizrakci, Janis Brandenburg, Jennifer Bracewell, be23mo, @artistunvield, Rita Colantonio, Kathy Clay, @anandamoy chatterji, Jun Yamaguchi, Lorenka Campos, Marguerite Khoury, Clint Cline, Lindy Ginn, Deborah McMillion, Vadim Demjianov, Karen Axelrad, Erik Viggh, Laila, Meri Walker, Gianluca Ricoveri, Judy Wahlberg, Chris Feichtner, Susan Rennie, Oola Cristina, Catherine Caddigan.
Music this week is ‘Don’t leave home’ by Dido
