When assessing Mammographic breast imagery, one of the things consultants look at is “architectural distortion”.
At BBook we are curious to explore the “Architecture of the Breast” and are working on a series of events and activities related to this topic. (detailed information will follow soon)
Human beings measure themselves in relation to the world around them. And architects shape the world around us in relation to the body’s dimensions.
When an architect surveys a site or building (through drawing, photography or model-making), this doesn’t only provide an insight and understanding in a metric sense, it also connects to cultural and historical dimensions and the human experience.
We are interested in surveying the contemporary human body, in particular the breast, to address issues society still struggles to accept, such as the asymmetry and lopsidedness of post lumpectomy and mastectomy chests and gender fluid and gender reassigned chests.
We will be inviting people to survey their own chest through drawing or any other suitable means, not only to understand and communicate its form, proportion, structure, symmetry, texture and materiality but also to engage with the politics and emotions surrounding the subject.
By sharing the resulting collection of surveys we aim to challenge conventional perceptions of the stereotypical body image and to promote diversity, inclusiveness and awareness.
Image above; Drawing I made of my friend Nel’s chest. In order to deal with post-traumatic swelling and lymphedema after a double mastectomy, she received Manual Lymphatic Drainage treatment. Quoting Nel ; “the kinesiology tape used, rivals anything Madonna did on tour!”
Anna Versteeg 2019