Category: Words

Absence   /ˈabs(ə)ns/

Since losing a breast I have been regularly contemplating the concept of Absence. Something that was but no longer is, does not just vanish, itstays present in our mind and being. It confronts us with a sense of having to do without, a feeling of incompleteness and an itchy inkling that something is missing. And although I’ve come to love my new asymmetry, a sense of absence remains, an ever present nostalgic kind of notion.

Whilst exploring the idea of absence, I found out about Amastia, a rare medical condition wherein the normal growth of the breast never takes place. They are congenitally absent. There is no sign whatsoever of the breast tissue, areola or nipple. Images of these breast-less chests reminded me of fields covered in fresh snow and conjured up an overwhelming sense of innocence and peace… An intuitive reaction illustrating once again the complexity connected to breasts and nipples.

Amastia can appear unilateral (one sided) and bilateral (both sides).

Amazia is a similar condition, wherein breast tissue is absent but here the nipples are present.

A rather poetic early description of Amastia can be found in the bible : “We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts”

(Song of Solomon VIII:8).

Anna Versteeg

As I, the Mother, have an ‘obsession’ with Breasts, and my son Finn an obsession with good Food, we decided to combine the two for some mothers day action;

I retrieved an ‘anatomical-breast-section-cookie-cutter’ from my Curious Breast Collection and Finn set out to produce some gluten and dairy free specimens. The cutter posed some serious challenges but as ‘ never give up’ is our family motto, he produced some beautiful biscuits with a ‘hint of citrus and whiff of vanilla’.

Whilst visiting our artist friends Tszman @zimachan and Antonio @antonionodar in Galicia (Spain) a few weeks ago, we spotted a white & blue ceramic beer pump in an old café in Santiago de Compostela; a female bust in a deep blue and brilliant white, both her breasts emphasized by a typical Galician pattern (reminding us of radiation warning signs). A beautiful example of  Galician Sargadelos Ceramics (since 1806).

As many of our friends are bemused by my interest in breasts, Tszman and Antonio were keen for us to sample another typical Galician product, the Tetilla cheese. Made from local cows milk, it’s flavour is creamy and slightly salty, with a fine texture and a yellowish ivory colour, but undoubtedly its greatest characteristic is the peculiar breast-like shape that gives it its name (small breast).

And Miki @mikithlowe, who was recently working in Madrid, introduced me to Tetilles de Monja, petite breast shaped biscuits, apparently resembling ‘ nuns breasts’.

Whilst on the other side of the globe, Australian ice cream company Gelato Messina has designed breast shaped ice creams to accompany a short film titled Lick Lick Blink by Australian artist Willoh S.Weiland. The performance hopes to explore cinema as a social space, and wants to leave you with lingering questions about gender and representation. The ice creams themselves aim to encourage viewers to consider how they consume women’s bodies on screen – in this case via a very literal consumption. Lick Lick Blink will be screened at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sidney until June’19.

Anna Versteeg

 

 

Indu Harikumar, Mumbai based Indian artist and story teller, has been working on a breast related art project called “IDENTITTY” since Jan’19. The artist, who has already instigated several projects exploring sexuality, gender and body image issues, developed this idea from an Instagram conversation she had with a large breasted woman who complained about how men only seem to see her big boobs whilst the artist herself has always felt inadequate because of her flat chest.

Harikumar posted on Instagram asking women to proudly share their breast stories and send a colour image of their bust for her to turn into paintings. They could choose whether to be painted naked or dressed in “a bra, lace, fabric, sheer, flowers, henna…” and whether to appear with their faces visible or concealed. The responses from across India have been overwhelming.

She is not only changing the narrative around breasts with her paintings  but also starting significant conversations by putting social media to its best use. All within a still largely conservative society where women are expected to dress modestly, only the very daring might show some cleavage, which makes the project even more exciting and provocative.

So it’s hard to believe that until 1924 a Breast Tax (Mulakkaram) was imposed on lower caste Indian women in Travancore ( Kerala) if they wanted to cover their breasts ! I first heard about this tax during one of Claire Collison’s wonderful “Intimate Breast Tours”. These women were not allowed to wear clothes covering their upper body in public. The law stemmed from Travancore’s tradition of baring the breast as a symbol of respect to higher-status women who would cover their chest. It has been claimed that a woman called Nangeli cut off her breasts when the tax collector came, instead of giving him the money, in an effort to protest the caste-based breast tax. Although Nangeli died the same day, the breast tax was abolished soon after.

From small to big, veiny to hairy, fake to pierced, lets rejoice in our boobs, free from shame and stigma, objectification, harassment or censorship.

So here’s to a Tits Up for all boobs.

Anna Versteeg

 

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

After my mastectomy, my friend Anne Lydiat referred to me as an Amazon.

The myth surrounding Amazons originates from Greek Mythology, referring to an ancient legendary nation of female warriors.

The etymology of the Greek variant “Amazon” means “a” without and “mazos” breast ; “without a breast.” The Greek historian Strabo (63BC) states that the right breasts of all Amazons were cut off or seared, so that they could more easily use their right arm for throwing the javelin and using the bow & arrow.

Anne gave me a beautiful book; “When women were birds” by American author, conservationist, and activist Terry Tempest Williams, in which Tempest notes that she belongs to “a Clan of One-breasted Women”. Her mother, grandmothers and six aunts all had mastectomies… ”this image allowed me to see the women in my family as warriors, not victims of breast cancer…”.

Perfection lost
Amazon
Conquering life
With a lopsided
Newness

From the poem “Two” by Anna Versteeg 2010

Image above ; Ancient Roman mosaic ; Amazon warrior armed with labrys, engaged in combat with a hippeus, is seized by her Phrygian cap; 4th century AD. From Daphne, a suburb of Antioch on the Orontes ( modern Antakyain southern Turkey), now installed in the Denon Wing of the Louvre, Paris.

 

 

 

FASHION…what do you wear when you have only one breast…?
For the first summer holiday after my mastectomy ( 2009) I asked my friend Maria to make me a new MONOKINI from two of my old bikini’s ( see above pictures).

Whilst researching for this journal, I found out about Monokini 2.0 (2014), a swimwear collection designed by a group of Finnish fashion designers, modeled by women who have gone through breast cancer and photographed by artists. This brillaint art project  takes a stand on western commercial culture’s narrow idea of women’s ideal appearance and strives to expand the idea of what is considered to be beautiful in the female body. The project emphasizes that beauty lies in ones confidence and community’s acceptance rather than in “the perfect body”. The creative leaders are artists Katriina Haikala and Vilma Metteri (art duo Tärähtäneet ämmät / Shaken-not-blurred). The original idea is by Elina Halttunen, the woman with one tit. (http://katriinahaikala.com/portfolio/monokini2)

 

    

Ever since I first saw examples of anatomical votives,
I was attracted to the aesthetics of these collections of objects left at church altars and intrigued by the concept.

After I had a mastectomy, I started looking out for breast shaped votives.
This wax specimen from Portugal was given to me by friends…Fatima’s Breast.

 

Last year I bought this pair of jugs at an exhibition called ‘Nice Jugs’
by Vicky Thornton (architect, potter and collector) who brought together
a collection of jugs in the aftermath of breast cancer.
They were paired to complement each other, the similarity yet difference
reflecting the inevitable but often unappreciated a-symmetry of the post
operative world of breast cancer recovery. All were carefully curated to
sit as a subtle reminder of the legacy of breast cancer.
(profits were donated to Maggie’s Centres).

I heard this interview on BBC Radio 4 (Friday 28 Sept’18);
Emma and Helen talk about being unable to breast feed because of a physical condition (insufficient glandular tissue in the breast).
A better understanding could have improved their shared experience. LET’S TALK BREAST…