Staring it in the Eyes, Pain.

WW12 Health.
Wonder Women!
2021

Below is my proposal for the twelfth edition and first all virtual Wonder Women.
After two weeks my idea has already evolved thanks to some amazing Wonder Women who listen and give thoughtful feedback. As a brain-fogged, chronic pain fibromyalgia warrior I can get lost in an idea. These woman bring me to the action of making and participating and it is so valuable to be involved.
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The proposal –

2020 made me need a designated art practice time more than ever before. While my time became all about supporting the needs of my family to an extent that is difficult to put into words (mental and physical health, home, safety, procuring toilet paper) I began to find myself primarily daydreaming about making. I have long been planning, thinking, and sketching out an idea related to my body, my health.
As a fiber based maker I seek to better understand my own health by creating a soft sculpture self-portrait. I plan on dissecting myself and putting myself back together creating a deeper understanding of my own issues.

I will sew a (life sized if time permits) stuffed buddy, she will have all the areas of her body where I have health issues embroidered (?). I am considering both realistic imagery as well as invented pattering to represent ailments and complaints. Each embroidered stitch and color could represent a time, a pain, a surgery. I have thought of extensions to this project that involves scanning various body parts to see medical records and xrays—this may become a film, or take the form of viewers scanning qr codes and seeing information on personal devices. This brings in the concepts of privacy of information and of sharing of our most personal data.
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Steph Tichenor