Feingold Gallery: Beauty Sleep

I found myself searching this composition much like one puzzles a gestalt figure. Is the girl dreaming her "hidden" disabilities into our consciousness to illustrate that the impact of her hidden disability is as significant as those floating above? Or is the girl using sleep as a means to hide from a prominent disability, like those above, that she might have and we cannot see?

I also keep thinking about the term "beauty sleep" and the young figure of the girl. The photographs floating above her face are usually associate with carnies and traveling shows. Individuals with unique disabilities were used to shock and entertain the general public. The scattered images above the girl could be a reference to body dysmorphic syndrome which distorts a person's perception of their physical body.

Today society frowns on the use of "freak shows" as entertainment, but promotes the use of the female body in consumer culture.

I was drawn to this picture because of the old photos -- the feeling evoked by the sepia coloring, the "good ol' days" evocation.

But wow. The first photo I saw was the man with huge legs and I was repulsed in fear and the sensation of pain I imagined he must have felt.

My reaction to the entire piece was dependent upon each picture, tho -- and the ones that made me fearful were the ones with the greatest impact. For some reason the woman without legs, the bearded lady, and the giant did not trouble me.

Makes me think of dreams,confusion and a lot of uncertinies.

beauty is based on some ancient biological imparative of mating with those who are healthy and fertile ( Female ) and those who can provide resources ( males ) (food , protection of young, faithfullness) spreading of good genes. But since our modern society provides these things there is a need to up the annie sort of speak, to artificially create a need to feel beautiful through artificial means and create false or exaggerated images of beauty. This provides a market to produce income for those advertizers and marketers of products.Society has a collective image from TV movies magazines. albeit distorted image of what is considered beautiful. example: straight teeth is an example now everyone can afford to have them,so now they have to be perfectly white in order for marketeers to make money. It is the same with breast now everyone is having breast implants. so there is less focus afterall everyone can have them. So now it is weight . and they have added males and younger children to the mix ,when only women worried about their looks and appearance. Globalization has provided more opportunity to spread their propaganda far and wide,that's why Chineese women are having their eyes westernized to fit this ideal beauty. the list goes on and on..........

What if the world consisted primarily of people who looked like the images hovering around the sleeping person?
What if in that world, the person asleep was the one who people looked upon with repulsion and the others as models and movie stars? We say someone is "ugly" or "homely" because we are comparing them to an image we have of beauty in our minds. Who taught us what is to be considered ugly or beautiful? Who perpetuates that bias? We, who look in the mirror and say, "crap, this is a bad hair day" or "why did I have to get a blazing red pimple on my nose?" Look around us and see how the concept of "beauty" is connected to the marketplace. Advertising points out how those unsightly age spots, embarrassing dandruff, puffy eyelids, small breasts, big nose, dull hair, bloodshot eyes, overgrown eyebrows, chipped fingernails, bad breath, crooked teeth, and countless other things that detract from our beauty can be remedied by spending a little money here and a lot of money there. My concept of beauty is that of a verb. I don't see beauty as a state of being, but rather actively being beautiful in our most humane moments, when we are there to listen to, support, encourage, and appreciate each other. Beauty isn't in the eye of the beholder, it's in the beholder's heart.

It makes me think about the link between self-image and physical appearance. 

My gut reaction is pity for the poor boy who is plagued by these images in his dreams... This reaction bothers me.

reminds me of the anatomy lab at University of Chicago.  I'm learning to look at these things from a detached point of view.

If I were seeing these images in my sleep, I'd hope the images were constructions of my unconscious rather than reality.

My first reaction to the images is revulsion. Are they physical representations of  the ugliest parts of the human mind? And is my response the same, perhaps, as it would be if I knew that a "beautiful/normal" person was experiencing a "deformed" mentality.

The nature of our fascination with physical appearances "unnatural".  It is an unconscious response?  Every once and a while, someone who has placed there hand on my shoulder, has to think about it.  My should is normally shaped as a result of an old injury.  The person wants to poke around and maybe pull at my collar bone.

So much of disability is the fear and stigma we feel within our minds.

Reconciliation of multiple selves. The unconscious manifesting in images with which the conscious attempts to grapple.

Clear manifestation of our differences

The hidden selves of our unconscious (and the sense of emotional rest we get when, in private or secret, we entertain them).

Finding comfort in your inner self.

dark secrets...nightmares...and then peace

Conceptions of the self manifest themselves in the unconscious (and can come out in dreams). You can never escape from your mind.

Could we admit that things scare us, including things that don't actually threaten us except by their difference from what we're used to? Why are differences in bodies so disturbing? Could it be otherwise?

(posted for a friend)

Peace, serenity, a sleeping boy at peace with his soul.