I saw René Magritte's “The Eternally Obvious” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Standing in The Met, observing Magritte's portrait of his beautiful, petite wife, I felt ashamed as other visitors pushed past my large body to get a better view. It was evident to me that I needed accommodations to live my life, but the way I was jostled and pushed, I felt invisible. I decided that I needed to respond to “The Eternally Obvious”. I wanted to portray what was internally evident to me in a way that was outwardly obvious to others.

As people interacted with my installation, they disrupted my body's space. I sought to provoke self-reflection as viewers shared space with my nude figure. What did it feel like to share space with my fat, disabled, and nude body? Did my audience feel uncomfortable? Why? Did they feel that a body like theirs is represented? What does it mean for a fat, disabled body to be presented in a gallery space typically reserved for societally acceptable, thin, able-bodied people?

Performance

Installation Walkthrough