Final Installation: Stages of Anorexia

Chairs for installation

These are the four chairs I got for my installation. Round table on its way.

 

This will be the excessive exercise stage. I'm going to have a pair of running shoes at this chair (will be able to see under table). Text will be transferred onto the cushion about excessive exercise.

 

This is the 'calorie counting & obsession' stage. I will have quotes about food and calorie intake transferred onto the cushion. I'd like to include men's work shoes for this chair to say that not all those who suffer anorexia are teenage girls, or the stereotype.

 

'Struggle with appearance' stage. A large shirt will be draped on the back to represent baggy clothes worn by those with warped body images and trying to hide their actual size. I'm going to have small women's shoes next to this chair. Quotes will be about body image, denial and the continuation of losing weight.

 

'Downward spiral' stage. I'm considering swapping this one with the last since they are both equally smaller, and the last one is more aged to represent a deterioration at this stage. I will include quotes about end weight.

This is an example of text to transfer to the chair cushion:

 

And another one for a small quote without as much typography for an element:

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I'm considering a recovery chair, not sure how I feel about it and it would be on its own away from the table with the other chairs. Thoughts? I probably won't do it for fear of a cluttered space.

Final project - installation piece

This is the setup for the installation, assuming I find a reasonably sized table. Since the issue is anorexia, it makes sense to have a dining room set up with table, chairs, and plates. I'll be doing image and text transfers onto the table, plates, and chairs. Also considering getting flowers today so they'll be wilted by Friday and putting them on the table.

Final project ideas (continued)

I'm still on the idea of having chairs set up, but I have to decide on a number (thinking 5). I might include shoes also, showing different "people." I'm going to use typography to hand letter and transfer type to the chair about society's view on weight loss. I also want to have some personal accounts from myself and other people about their struggles with body image.

I definitely want this to be something that viewers can interact with and relate to.

This might be going too far but it might be cool to get Weight Watchers, Atkins, Slimfast, etc. products and wrappers to put in the shoes.

http://www.livinghealthynews.org/how-to-recognize-the-6-stages-of-anorexia-in-your-daughter/

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Stages-of-Anorexia&id=2745525

Final ideas (part 2)

I'm going to do an interactive installation for my final piece. Right now I have a picture of setting up chairs (old ones from Ram's Rack) that I will be painting, not sure how yet. I will be using typography on the chair backs and possibly seats and transfer them on somehow.

I then want to attach shadow-like decals to the floor, possibly with images or writing on them. I want to incorporate food into it somehow, also.

Final project ideas

Something I have struggled with since middle school is food and weight. There was a point in high school when I attempted Weight Watchers (my whole family did it) and lost 35 pounds but kept going, obsessed with calorie counting and working out to the point of anorexia, just because I believed I still looked like my original weight. Since then I have put back weight but anorexia still haunts me and of course, calorie counting is still huge in my life. I've recently gotten back into working out (healthily) also.

So without ranting too much, my final is going to be about my struggles with food and the 'perfect size' image that I also worry about far too much. I'm trying to stay away from the stereotypical anorexia/bulimia poster of the rail-thin girl looking into the mirror at a larger girl.

I kind of like the idea of writing down thoughts I've had in the past and thoughts I've had recently about the topic and displaying them somehow. I'm very into the idea of taking very personal things and expressing them via art. Or images similar to PostSecret (www.postsecret.com) where people write or type their confessions on a postcard-sized photo. Example:

I also want to do something that gives people chills like this example:

Final options

(See other process final/crit work in the post below.)
These finals turned out kind of oriental, I just noticed.

I need help choosing one of these for my final. Which is the strongest?

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3