Body Works by Liz Barr
The 21st Century has seen a huge expansion of the dialogue surrounding body image, in response to the use of exploitative tactics to demean women of color, women with unconventional body types, or otherwise non-ideal women through a white European perspective into buying expensive products that hide or change their natural features. While the demand to vilify these capitalistic ventures is ongoing, it is equally as important to value the use of makeup as a valid and successful expression of individuality — Liz Barr discusses the historicity of makeup, as well as its continuous presence in the forefront of socio-cultural expression and education through media such as plays, television, films and other dramatic articulations of the human condition. Body Works contains several visual examples of seminal works by feminist artists and photographers, each contributing a unique point of reference for Barr’s multi-faceted presentation on the corporeal, pop culture and performance.
