Jenny Pack, Student Work

 

Shield

Photograph

“Our skin is what stands between us and the world. If you think about it, no other part of us makes contact with something not us but the skin. It imprisons us, but it also gives us individual shape, protects us from invaders, cools us down or heats up as need be, produces vitamin D, holds in our body fluids.” - Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses, p. 68

Statement: 

I used an empty orange bag to cover my face. Its structure is similar to fishnet leggings, I found the color and texture striking. The work is to symbolize the skin as a weak but essential barrier. The folds in the material and it’s grid pattern clearly show the shape of the face- “gives us individual shape.” In addition, hopefully the viewer is familiar with the texture and can imagine the feeling- “no other part of us makes contact with something not us but the skin.” The bag holds my face, while it’s stretched it does not break. The material was strong enough to hold oranges, and while they can still be bruised and harmed, the bag was moved from several locations without damage. The parallel is drawn to skin as a protector from outside harm.