creative outcomes | exhibitions | artist journal | process | engagement impact | the starving artist
the starving artist
Understanding The Significance of Eating Disorders Through Contemporary Art
A. Zlatar, ‘Sometimes Memories Never Leave Your Bones’ (1/6), 2020.
Ally Zlatar
Doctor of Creative Arts
University of Southern Queensland
Supervisors: Assoc Prof Beata Batorowicz and Assoc Prof Amy Mullens
Content Warning: This project addresses sensitive content and visual imagery pertaining to Eating Disorders, mental illness and self-harm that may be triggering to some individuals. Therefore readers and viewer discretion is advised.
Please note: This DCA research section of the website is designed for this creative portfolio, ‘The Starving Artist’, and the remaining ‘Ally Zlatar’ websites are designed to be public-facing initiative. The subsequent sections are dedicated to provide the content for the online creative portfolio to accompany the exegesis.
project overview
This creative portfolio entitled ‘The Starving Artist’ consists of a series of exhibitions, accompanying catalogue publication ‘One Body My Body No Body’ as part of the Doctor of Creative Arts program, with a 70% weighting. As a contemporary artist and curator, I explore my own personal experiences with Eating Disorders within my practice. Those inflicted by Eating Disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia and Orthorexia experience a profoundly deep experience with mental illness (Bordo, 2001). In turn, I foreground the various psychological states of Eating Disorders as a mental health matter within my work, as a means of counteracting the often stereotypical imagery based on the physical symptoms of Eating Disorders that is perpetuated by a ‘Culture of Thinness’ (Tillmann, 2009).
Beyond this, my visual art project is a response to the medical field that takes on a clinical. ‘objective’ and ‘outsider’ approach to the diagnosis, treatment and overall management of Eating Disorders, that potentially can often negate the individual-specific knowledges and experiences that could inform Eating Disorder treatment.
My practice-led research therefore seeks to contribute to the understanding of Eating Disorders as a means of an autoethnographic and artist-insider approach to edify what an individual lived-experience’ endures mentally as well as physically. By using the self-experience as data (i.e. stories and texts) within my work, I explore and contextualise various personal accounts to gain an understanding of the Eating Disorder experience.
This creative portfolio foregrounds the outcomes through the sections of Artist Journal and Process. The artist journal documents the creative process and the artwork creation gives you a glimpse into how I create the works.
Other sections in the creative portfolio exemplify the impact of the Creative Outcomes through the Exhibitions and Engagement Impact these communicate the various artworks, workshops, events and exhibitions and their diverse audiences. There is also the public-oriented website The Starving Artist that serves as the broader public initiative
about the artist-researcher
I examine notions of the individual experience by focusing on Eating Disorders as a mental illness, through foregrounding and expressing vulnerability, and personal authenticity of lived-in Eating Disorder experiences. My works are emotionally and psychologically charged with personal narratives and life experiences that utilise autoethnographic experiences and art as a catalyst for activism and change-making within society.
For example, my project extends beyond a standard research study by also taking form as an global artist initiative that utilises creative voices to create advocacy and systemic reform by founding The Starving Artist Scholarship Fund which helps people access inpatient treatment for Eating Disorders. Furthermore, my "This Body of Mine" campaign explores migrant experiences through creative voices and has helped support individuals and artists from refugee-seeking backgrounds globally. In turn, I have received the highest accolade a young person can achieve for their humanitarian work; winner of ‘The Princess Diana Legacy Award’, 2021, ‘King Hamad Award for Youth Empowerment’,2022, ‘Y20 Award Finalist for Diversity and Inclusion’ (Youth 20 by G20 Summit) and special recognition from ‘The British Citizen Award’, 2022.
For example, my project extends beyond a standard research study by also taking form as an global artist initiative that utilises creative voices to create advocacy and systemic reform by founding The Starving Artist Scholarship Fund which helps people access inpatient treatment for Eating Disorders. Furthermore, my "This Body of Mine" campaign explores migrant experiences through creative voices and has helped support individuals and artists from refugee-seeking backgrounds globally. In turn, I have received the highest accolade a young person can achieve for their humanitarian work; winner of ‘The Princess Diana Legacy Award’, 2021, ‘King Hamad Award for Youth Empowerment’,2022, ‘Y20 Award Finalist for Diversity and Inclusion’ (Youth 20 by G20 Summit) and special recognition from ‘The British Citizen Award’, 2022.
For more insights below, please view the story behind the research:
https://youtu.be/okUL-1J9TYQ
click below to explore:
creative outcomes | exhibitions | artist journal | process | engagement impact | the starving artist
click below to explore:
creative outcomes | exhibitions | artist journal | process | engagement impact | the starving artist
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