What does it mean to modify something? We all know that, in the general sense, to modify something is to alter it. But what does it mean to Modify a person? Exactly the same thing. To be a Modified person, to take part in body modification, one simply has to undergo an alteration that wouldn’t occur on its own. In a broad sense, Body Modification encompasses nearly everything we may do in our daily lives – spritzing ourselves with perfume or cologne, washing ourselves with soap to alter the smells our body naturally adopts after a long day, shaving, wearing contacts or glasses, using nail polish, wearing makeup, using a hearing aid, coloring our hair…the list is endless. Participating in any of these or similar actions makes you part of the vast Body Modification world. Whether you choose to actively engage in and identify yourself as a member of this community is a different story.
While trimming one’s nails and wearing contacts are definite examples of Body Modification, the term “Body Modification” is more commonly used to refer to alterations such as tattooing, piercing, and the like. Common daily activities are no different in terms of (can’t think of a good word??? Principle, maybe?) than getting a piercing or a tattoo, yet tattooed and pierced people are often viewed by many as completely different from themselves, members of a mysterious, sophomoric subculture. Indeed, there are reckless, immature members of the Body Modification community, but what group doesn’t have its oddballs? The members of the Body Modification world are as varied in personality and outlook on life as the members of any other group (explain better, example of such a group???). Assuming that every Modified person leads the same lifestyle is like assuming that every person with the same skin color shares the same outlook on life.
My paintings illustrate not only the beauty of several Modified people, but also the humanity that exists in each of these amazing, intelligent individuals. The book, which had its conception as a supplemental element, truly took on a life of its own and stands as veritable proof of how very different each person is. It is complete with photos of each person’s Modifications, insightful interviews, and other important elements. The interviews demonstrate the fact that each person has a very different lifestyle and outlook on life. The only things consistently shared by the people featured in my show are intelligence, altered bodies, and open-mindedness.
Before starting each painting, I familiarized myself with the person who I was about to paint. I studied their interviews and tried to get to know them as much as I could in a given period of time. How could I hope to truthfully convey each person’s unique and beautiful identity without knowing him or her first? The emotion that unabashedly surfaces in each painting is another sign of the fact that simply because a Modified person may look physically different, he or she still experiences the same emotions, fears, and desires as a person whose body lacks piercings or tattoos. To discriminate against a person upon seeing his or her full sleeve tattoo or stretched ears is no better than discriminating against a person because of his or her skin color, sexual orientation, or gender.
Each painting is the same size, an intimate 8” x 10”. This compact size lends an intimacy to each rendering while still allowing enough room for necessary detail. There are no determinate backgrounds to my paintings, allowing viewers to focus on what is important – the People. The figures themselves are also decidedly lacking color, only a bit of peach, red, or yellow visible in the faces and hands. The color, a vital element in my show, is instead reserved for the true stars of my show, the Modifications themselves.
I don’t expect that every person who views my show will instantly shed all pre-conceived notions that they may have held about Modified people. However, it is my hope that all who view my show will question these pre-conceived notions. I will consider my show a success if viewers are able to see the beauty in some Modifications in which they previously saw pointlessness or ignorance. My show will succeed if its viewers realize that there is so much more to the Body Modification world than meets the eye, growing closer to accepting it for the art form that it is.
At its core, my show is about people. Fittingly, its completion would not have been possible without the help of many very special ones. My sincerest thanks go out in no small part to the following people: Jared Anderson, Jessica Beckett, Sarvas Berry, Dawn Bryan, Whitney Brewer, Ryan Chitwood, Tabatha Deavers, Jessica Larva, Jennifer Michael, Joe Morissey, Justina Nnajiofor, Colin O’Shaughnessy, Joe Stevens, Michael Szall, Deanna Taylor, Drew Townsend, Amanda Wamprecht, Josh Watson, and various other people who did not directly participate in my show but who have inspired me in countless ways.
