Adipositivity172 - First Anniversary!
« Previous Main Next »
YEAR ONE...
Not sure what I can say here without embarrassing myself, but I didn't want to let our first anniversary pass without a mention.
One year ago today, I launched The Adipositivity Project, armed only with fifty images, some fat women curiously willing to drop trou on the internet (!), and a firm belief that what pleases us visually is a constantly shifting thing, influenced by what we're exposed to and how. In a short time, what was meant to be a personal art project grew into a website drawing thousands of visitors each day, and correspondence from all over the globe. One year ago today, I Googled the not-yet-a-word 'adipositivity' and got zero results, along with the query, 'Do you mean adaptivity?' Today I get over 6,000 results. Next year? Kinda hoping I'll Google 'adaptivity' and be asked, 'Do you mean adipositivity?'
Mmmkay. That about covers the embarrassing myself part.
I bought a lovely cupcake the other day, in hopes of stabbing it with a birthday candle and taking a picture to post today. But the cupcake disappeared before I could shoot it. Cupcakes'll do that. Serendipitous, though, 'cause over the weekend I shot the above photograph of three beautiful, strong, happy, fat women. Outside, the weather was biblical, lightning jabbing at our building and thunder clapping percussively. Afterward, as everybody got dressed, we spotted the longest hunk of rainbow I've ever seen. While I'd like to go all Hallmark on ya and suggest the storm and its aftermath were some sort of anniversary related metaphor, I can't. It was just... nice. As were the naked fat ladies. And the cupcake.
A deep dish thanks to all who've written, supported, and modeled for the project. And an earnest curtsy to all who do anything, no matter how small, to advance size acceptance. Happy Adiposiversary, Everybody.
Substantia Jones
Adipose: Of or relating to fat.
Positivity: Characterized by or displaying acceptance or affirmation.
MISSION:
The Adipositivity Project aims to promote size acceptance, not by listing the merits of big people, or detailing examples of excellence (these things are easily seen all around us), but rather, through a visual display of fat physicality. The sort that's normally unseen.
The hope is to widen definitions of physical beauty. Literally.
The photographs here are close details of the fat female form, without the inclusion of faces. One reason for this is to coax observers into imagining they're looking at the fat women in their own lives, ideally then accepting them as having aesthetic appeal which, for better or worse, often translates into more complete forms of acceptance.
The women you see in these images are educators, executives, mothers, musicians, professionals, performers, artists, activists, clerks, and writers. They are perhaps even the women you've clucked at on the subway, rolled your eyes at in the market, or joked about with your friends.
This is what they look like with their clothes off.
Some are showing you their bodies proudly. Others timidly. And some quite reluctantly. But they all share a determination in altering commonly accepted notions of a narrow and specific beauty ideal.
Bookmark adipositivity.com and check back often, as new photographs are added regularly(ish). And please help spread the message. The Adipositivity Project: Changing attitudes about the aesthetic validity of big women, one fat fanny at a time.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER:
Substantia Jones’ photography has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the US East Coast, and has appeared in The New York Times, Time Out New York, and some other publications she can’t recall at this time, but you probably haven’t heard of them anyway. She is biographied in the 2006 Who’s Who in America (though under the name her momma gave her), and back in the day, she won some photography awards which would sound somewhat Mayberry if listed here, but at the time, they damn near made her cry. Still kinda do.
She lives in Manhattan, where she also sometimes steps out (more like lays around) in front of the camera, and on some of those occasions, the snapping is done by her trusty sidekick, Dr. H, who also fetches her banana popsicles and maintains her muse, a certain pancake colored dog who’s asked that his name not be mentioned on the Internet.
Ms. Jones likes crispy calamari, Squidbillies, and the ika okonomiyaki from Otafuku in the East Village, if only the lines weren’t so long.
ANNOUNCING: TAP Shop is now open!
To mark the first 100 Adipositivity Project images and to answer those who've asked for T-shirts, calendars, and posters, a CafePress shop has been set up with the requested items, as well as mugs, bumper stickers, mousepads and greeting cards. Yeah. Went a little crazy there. So go get your merch on!
Visit TAP Shop
Current TAP Shop Special
Thou shalt not reproduce without permission.
Except for babies. Make all o' them you want.
© The Adipositivity Project 2008
Gallery: VIEW ALL