Fascinating. I had a single mastectomy and have written about it. A friend of mine did portraits of me, based on selfies I sent her. At one point, I asked her to do an image of my naked, one-breasted torso. I've thought about the reasons why women get reconstruction and also use fake boobs (a prosthetic!).
To be honest, I'd be really upset if my breast had ended up in Lee Miller's art work. There is a statement about the male gaze here, but she is using someone else's body to make her statement. I see the value, but I have my visceral reservations. Nothing teaches you about the world's obsesssion with breasts as getting one cut off.
Thank you so much for reading my piece and sharing your own experience! I truly see where you're coming from, I do wonder if the woman who underwent the operation knew that Lee Miller was taking her breast or if she remained unaware, in which case that does seem like a big breach of privacy and bodily autonomy
Fascinating. I had a single mastectomy and have written about it. A friend of mine did portraits of me, based on selfies I sent her. At one point, I asked her to do an image of my naked, one-breasted torso. I've thought about the reasons why women get reconstruction and also use fake boobs (a prosthetic!).
To be honest, I'd be really upset if my breast had ended up in Lee Miller's art work. There is a statement about the male gaze here, but she is using someone else's body to make her statement. I see the value, but I have my visceral reservations. Nothing teaches you about the world's obsesssion with breasts as getting one cut off.
Thank you so much for reading my piece and sharing your own experience! I truly see where you're coming from, I do wonder if the woman who underwent the operation knew that Lee Miller was taking her breast or if she remained unaware, in which case that does seem like a big breach of privacy and bodily autonomy
Had she asked, I would have said yes :-) btw The Lopsided Manifesto is about my having one breast.
I just read it! It’s beautiful and vulnerable and moving, i loved it
Thank you so much!
Ah! I wrote an Ekphrastic poem on this photo, which will be coming out with Anthropocene!