Altered Aesthetics by Becca Cerra
With your help, I am developing a project that explores beauty within altered bodies. Collaborating with people with amputations, I am creating wearable sculptures that wrap around and extend from their residual limbs to create artistic expressions. My unique sculptural (nonmedical) "prosthetics" are visual homages to the body’s story. They transform the wearers’ bodies into works of art, challenge limiting beliefs they and others may hold, and stimulate movement exploration.
I am working with a photographer Melissa Hesse to document the model as they explore movement with their sculpture.
I am currently looking for opportunities to exhibit this work. Ideally, I'll be exhibiting life-sized photographs of the models wearing their sculptures accompanied by the sculptures themselves. Know of a space I should consider? Send me your suggestions!
Find out more about Becca Cerra's work at beccacerra.com
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Most conversations about physical disability are fraught with misinformation, stigma, and limiting perceptions.
Through my project, Altered Aesthetics, I aim to shatter these beliefs, educate the public, empower individuals living with disabilities, and ultimately catalyze a body-positive revolution in which all bodies are revered for their unique beauty.
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I spent the last year researching and developing this project by working with Daniel Jensen, a Vietnam veteran who lost his leg in the war. Now I'm working with 3 more incredible people with amputations.
I will continue to consult with a prosthetist and orthotist, to learn prosthetic-making techniques that ensure my sculptures complement and do not compromise the integrity of the skeletal structure.
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The final exhibition (location TBD) will consist of 5 life-sized images of the amputees as they discover what new abilities these sculptures create. Each image will be accompanied by a thought-provoking sentence or phrase expressing the person’s limiting beliefs about their bodies. The photos will show how they transcend those limiting beliefs. And the sculptures themselves will be displayed on pedestals.
Your help is key to the success of this project. Without YOU it simply wouldn't be possible. Please contribute as you can. Any amount helps!
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Here's where your money will go:
Prosthetist Consultant
$500
Documentation
$1,500
Model Stipend ($500 each)
$2,500
Artist Fee
$1,000
Materials (steel, welding gas, consumables)
$2,800
Installation (2 assistants to help install and de-install)
$500
Photo Printing (and test prints)
$900
Publicity and Promotion (Postcards, posters, social media ads)
$300
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Please share this with your family, friends, coworkers, and anyone you think may be interested. Together we can change how the world sees disability!
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Thank you in advance!
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Find out more about Becca Cerra's work at beccacerra.com
