Face or Ass
Erin Milan (Centennial, CO)
Oil on Panel, 5” W x 7” H
Artwork:
The title of this work comes from a phrase I heard as a teenager, "face or ass." It meant that as women age they must choose which feature they want to look "good," their face or their backside. To have a lovely face required a certain amount of body fat to avoid looking old--too little body fat emphasized wrinkles, sagging skin, hollowed eyes, etc. However at that time, tiny bodies and asses were in vogue. The concept was that aging women had to sacrifice one or the other. Of course now our "perfect" body and face standards are somewhat different, and we have the opportunity to alter ourselves with all sorts of risky and expensive and invasive procedures. In any case, the phrase stuck with me for years as an immutable truism. See also, Kate Moss's infamous statement that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." As far as aging and appearance, we've been doing it ALL wrong for a long time.
Artist Statement:
Existence can be a real kick in the teeth. The thru line in all of my work is the attempt to come to terms with what it feels like to be human. These small Mirror Selfies began as documentation of my experience with hating my body. One doesn't need to look far to find robust research and testimonials that women are barraged with the message that their appearance is not enough. I noticed myself neurotically and compulsively checking in the mirror; if I felt thin it was a good day, if my stomach was too large or my breasts too saggy, my mood plummeted. I began taking photos with my phone, something I've done as an artist over the years during difficult seasons, as a means to process the big feelings. Eventually I gained the courage to paint the images. They are small, vulnerable, raw: personal expressions of what my experience as a person in a female body is. I am not alone. We're doing it all wrong.
From the We're Doing It ALL Wrong® - 4th Annual Art Exhibition