Jen Davis Documents Her Life-Long Struggle with Obesity
Megan Facciuolo — June 2, 2014 — Art & Design
References: jendavisphoto & designtaxi
Many people struggle with obesity, but Jen Davis, a Brooklyn-based photographer, decided to document hers. In her poignant series, the photographer takes self-portraits of herself at her most vulnerable and lonely moments.
Since, 2002 Davis has documented her life, so her body weight varies in many of the photos. Over that time-span, she struggled with issues regarding beauty, identity, and body image. However, she claims that by doing the project, she could "control a world of beauty that [she] created and inhabited."
Some of the pictures include her clad in undergarments, sitting alone on the beach, and solemnly getting dressed in the morning. "I couldn’t necessarily identify with the idea of someone seeing me as ‘beautiful,’ but I could accept that the pictures that I created were," she said.
Since, 2002 Davis has documented her life, so her body weight varies in many of the photos. Over that time-span, she struggled with issues regarding beauty, identity, and body image. However, she claims that by doing the project, she could "control a world of beauty that [she] created and inhabited."
Some of the pictures include her clad in undergarments, sitting alone on the beach, and solemnly getting dressed in the morning. "I couldn’t necessarily identify with the idea of someone seeing me as ‘beautiful,’ but I could accept that the pictures that I created were," she said.
Trend Themes
1. Body Positivity Photography - The trend of showcasing body positivity through vulnerable and honest photography provides an opportunity to disrupt the beauty industry's traditional beauty standards.
2. Mental Health Advocacy - The trend of using art as a platform to raise awareness for mental health and body image issues creates an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the healthcare and wellness industry.
3. Self-reflection Art - The trend of creating self-portraits and other works of art to explore one's own vulnerability and identity provides an opportunity to disrupt the art and culture industry.
Industry Implications
1. Beauty Industry - The beauty industry has the opportunity to embrace body positivity and redefine traditional beauty standards through their advertising campaigns and product lines.
2. Healthcare Industry - The healthcare industry can invest in creating new products and services that cater to mental health and body image issues, such as therapy and support groups.
3. Art and Culture Industry - The art and culture industry can promote and support self-reflection art as a means of exploring one's own vulnerability and identity, and disrupting traditional beauty and societal standards.
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