The example of new media art that I choose to describe is “Our Perfect Body.” This work starts off with “Lola-The Perfect Body?” which is a woman, who is made up of different body parts that are considered “perfect.” This mix matched person has beautiful hair, great legs and stomach and the ‘perfect’ boobs. However all together, Lola is one unattractive woman. The rest of the project scrolled down the page to include different women describing their favorite feature or their least favorite feature. All together these favorite features from different women were used to compose Lola.
This piece of digital art is not very interactive the viewer needs to scroll down the screen to look at the different body parts and read the captions associated with them. A computer and internet is needed to view the art. However if one has a mobile phone with internet, this artwork will be easy to view using this. I think one thing that would make this piece of artwork more interesting would be some type of music or audio. Otherwise, the art is silent.
This artwork stimulates interest due to the fact that it is fascinating to see what other women feel about their bodies. As one is looking at ‘Our Perfect Bodies” the body parts vary from, ‘I hate my thick thighs,’ to ‘I love my neck it hides my double chin.’ The colors that the artist uses are bright, which in this case is aesthetically pleasing. I think the other reason that this piece of art peeks some interest is because, as a woman especially, I know that all of us have some sort of insecurity about our physical appearances, it is fascinating to know what other women find unsatisfactory about their bodies.
This art was very interesting in the fact that in today’s world with all of the media propaganda about celebrity’s bodies, many women are extremely insecure. We live in a society where millions of men and women suffer from eating disorders and where plastics surgery is not longer taboo. Unfortunately this view in society is based solely on the media’s perception about what is pretty and what is skinny. It is awful that in one week someone can be reading about how fat Jessica Simpson is getting and the next week be reading about how skinny Mary-Kate Olsen is. There is no happy medium with the media in terms of a person’s looks. Culturally, we have body image issues and this work of digital art addresses these issues.
I think more than anything that this piece of artwork has more significance culturally rather than politically. However it is very significant creatively due to the fact that creates an important message through the creativity. I think that the bright colors that were used and the different typed fonts for each of the pictures make it pleasing to the eye. I think that this eye catching style allows the viewer to, at first glance, see the aesthetic value of the painting before realizing the message that it brings about.
I believe this piece of digital art may be viewed the same in different cultures, such as more modern cultures in Europe. I think that no matter what country or culture a person lives, there is always the view that one appearance is more appealing than another. In modern countries where there is television and where the media is always trying to catch the biggest celebrities, I think there are the same body image issues that we in the United States have. Even in England women feel that their legs are too fat, or their eyes are not the right color. However, in other cultures, such as Africa, it is considered beautiful to have a long neck. Women place metal rings around their neck to elongate them. If for any reason the metal rings must be taken off, the muscles on their necks are so stretched out and weak that they cannot support their heads. I think this can be compared to an eating disorder such as bulimia in the United States. Long necks are considered beautiful; however it is a dangerous process. In the United States, unfortunately women believe that being thin is beautiful, but some of the consequences of trying to be thin are very dangerous, such as starving oneself or working out to a dangerous level.
Overall, the reason why I picked this piece of art is because I think all women can relate to it. It sends the message that someone could have the most perfect features but still be unattractive. Even people who live in different cultures can appreciate the message. Aesthetically, it is pleasing to the eye and it is creative. I think this is a great piece of digital art work, and beneficial in the fact that it sends a positive message in a world that is filled with media opinions and peer pressure to be beautiful and ‘perfect.’
