My work concerns the intersection of the individual body and psyche with culture and history. I sometimes use clothing forms as surrogates for the body. I work in a variety of media according to the dictates of the idea. Currently, I construct sculptures by laminating layers of sheer fabric and acrylic medium, into plaster body casts. I cut and sew the resulting cast fabric form to alter the orignal shape of the body or body part. Several pieces in this series deal with surgical interventions to the body for cosmetic purposes. In these surgeries, the patient allows severe trauma to be inflicted on his or her body in the hopes of gaining a visual appearance which is culturally admired. "Back III" opposes that option. It is made from a cast of a back between neck and knees, with all the lumps and sags of a middle-aged torso exposed. Its only alteration is a rectangle cut out of the back at waist level. Through this screen-covered window can be seen a short videotaped sequence of a back massage. The constant repetition of this scene serves as a reminder of the primacy of touch and the pleasure and pain of connection with another human being.

Ann Rowles, July 1999