| ETZCHAIM (TREE OF LIFE) 2004 This series of work incorporates 18 women from a variety of backgrounds and ages living with sexually transmitted diseases. In exhibition form, there is a photographic portrait of each woman's vagina, and to the right of it, a portrait of a tree as their vagina, a tree that they have each chosen from their neighborhood, one to which they feel connected. I got the idea when I found an irregularity in a tree trunk that looked like my own vagina, and I photographed both. I like the concept of nature mirroring the human body, as a way to reinforce the notion that diseases are a natural part of life, and one can grow with them. By each woman selecting their own tree, one that they see on a regular basis, they are reclaiming their bodies, and empowering themselves. Each woman chose their tree before viewing the photographs of their vaginas, and coincidentally, the finished portraits very much resemble one other. Under each double portrait is a recording of a personal interview, roughly 10 minutes long, where each woman was allowed to express her own feelings and initial insecurities, as well as how she is coping with her situation now. Individual headphones under the corresponding photographs provide a state of intimacy in the gallery setting through which viewers can listen to the interviews. These private, firsthand accounts enable viewers to understand diseases about which have mostly gone unspoken. I chose to include 18 women because that number in Hebrew means "chai" or "life". The project in entirety becomes telling of obstacles and fears every woman at one time or another faces in the natural cycle of life. Following is a selection from the series. |
MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO VIEW THE SERIES.
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