Skin

This collage came out of an argument I’d had with a friend. I’d been disappointed at how stereotypical her favourite female fantasy characters appeared. They looked to me, despite their weapons and armour, like yet more Disney princesses: all big boobs and big hair – and very tiny waists. Princess Fiona they won’t..!

I was also critical of just how much more sexualised these women characters were than the men – and that she couldn’t (or perhaps didn’t want to) see that. Of course it’s not just the poses and pouts, and sidelong looks – it’s how much skin they’re showing. Unnecessarily, since I am sure that it’s safer, despite their vast knowledge and powers, to armour their midriffs when wreaking havoc or whatnot...

But, I wondered, am I spoiling all the fun – and perhaps fighting a losing battle? Maybe I am... After all, women’s nude or semi-nude bodies are all over the internet, right? Or are they?

Well, I thought I’d take a look... I did a Google image search of ‘skin’ and found plenty of anatomical diagrams of the skin – and plenty of young, perfectly make-upped, clean and clear, fair and female faces. And almost as many images of diseased skin!

On the internet (as in life?), skin seems to be perfect or problematic – good or bad! Or perhaps even ‘celebrity’... But, on the internet, skin is overwhelmingly one type.

I really had to search to find photographs of wrinkled skin, men’s skin, babies’ and children’s skin, skin of different colours and shades, skin on other parts of our bodies than our faces, and of different textures. Looking at this collage again, I realised I still hadn’t included any freckles and moles – of which I have many myself!

‘So what?’ you might be thinking. Well, I’d like to think the internet can be a whole lot more diverse and dynamic than that. And that there’ll still be a place on the internet for art that shows some skin, and meaningful conversations and arguments about it, in years to come...

So, here is a synthesis of a whole lot of skin on the internet – I’ve pilfered from so many people’s photographs but (in some kind of apology!) each has been edited so much as to be pretty unidentifiable (other than those of the tattoos of course).

A celebration of the largest organ of the body: the skin

And my last word in the above mentioned argument:

Women can be super and sexy, but many women around the world are still fighting all kinds of sexism to be the best – and sexiest – selves they can be.


And on that, I think, we can agree.

From coast to coast

Surrounded by piles of papers and files and books, there were times when I thought 2011 just seemed to be flying by – and what had I actually done? So looking back at the photos I took over the course of the year was a good reminder of how far I’d actually come... I’d moved down to Cape Town, from the east coast to the west, and caught up with old school friends and friends from Japan and the Middle East. I’d shared a lot of ups and downs with friends on my course and course teachers, and lots of laughs and advice (not all from me to them!) with many of my past students. I came back for a family wedding and spent time with visiting family from the UK. And, of course, I went back to my studies after years of working and travelling in the Middle and Far East – and finally got through all of that coursework.

Looking ahead, I’ll be getting stuck into my research this year and getting back to some teaching. I’ll be driving down to Cape Town in ‘Maya’ which will make getting around and out of the city that much easier. And I’ll be back just in time to meet a friend’s long awaited and, by then, newly born daughter...

These are some of the sights from my travels last year. (I’d wanted to choose a photo from each month but I hadn’t taken enough throughout 2011 – they cover the year anyway.)

Memories of Japan

My friend Nuria made this for me when we were both living and working in Japan.

Kawaii desu ne?

A haiku about... falling poems?

I wrote this about ten years ago when I was living in London.

I was at work and from my window I could see a man and a woman reading on the grass below. It was a blustery day and she was leaning against him – but quite absorbed in what she was reading. It seemed like the perfect kind of solitude.