What happened to the vitruvian man?

Tate Bryant Jennings, 2021


What Happened to the Vitruvian Man? (2021)

Influenced by Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, Jennings' collage tries to reinterpret the meaning of the “perfect” proportions for the human figure. On the left of the man, is anorexia. Brittle bones represent the 30 million who suffer from an eating disorder. The right side portrays obesity, the arms, and legs built from animals in which obese people are called, such as "whale" and "seal". Jennings attempt to give voice to the 650 million people who suffer from obesity. 

The perfect human form can never be achieved, and social media platforms are greatly spreading ideals of fake figures, whether it be plastic surgery or digital alterations. This is causing people to go to dangerous extremes to try and reach the “perfect” form. 

Jennings hope to bring awareness to the body image problems that social media has accelerated in society and to bring comfort to those suffering from body image issues. The collage was made using various images from "Heck's Pictorial Archive of Nature and Science" adhered to illustration board with clear matte gel.

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