artist statement

My recent work on The Museum for Obeast Conservation Studies (MOCS) satirizes the social stigma around obesity through the legitimizing tropes of natural history and nature conservation. The project is loosely conducted as a scientific organization that coordinates obeast field research and educates the public about obeasts through museum exhibitions, videos and an informative website (www.obeasts.org).

Among my roles for this project is performing as the North American Obeast, a fictitious genus of endangered mammals.[1] By dehumanizing obesity and re-casting it as the obeast, I exaggerate the everyday stigmatization of fat people to the extent that it becomes humorous rather than merely requiring the viewer’s pity. The detailed absurdity of the world of the obeast temporarily disarms and de-personalizes this controversial topic, creating emotional space for viewers to consider the inequalities perpetuated by the hegemonic ideal of the “normal” body.

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[1] Visually, the obeasts are all me wearing muumuus. I perform as both male and female, covering three sub-species worth of animals.