Cara Coder

The series focused only on my female family members. My only objective was to showcase the feminine quality of folds on the female body. The gentle curves of the breast, the butt, the stomach, as well as many other areas of a female body showcase femininity, even if they are hidden most of the time. My aim was to try and make these women proud of these areas and in turn make them proud of their bodies. I used a very simple 18k gold chain to showcase these folds by draping it throughout their bodies. I used this somewhat mundane piece of jewelry in the same way it is used on other parts of the body. Women wear necklaces to accentuate their collarbone or their cleavage. They wear earrings to emphasize their long neck. Bracelets are for showing the slenderness of the wrist. In this way I used the chain to emphasize the feminine qualities of their folds. I was amazed and saddened by the rampant negativity that was imbedded in each one of them towards their bodies, which was also instilled in me at a young age. This collective experience solidified my speculation of the inherited insecurity that women pass down from generation to generation like a family heirloom. The experience, even if it was very slightly and only for a moment, realigned how they thought of themselves and they were proud of their bodies and what they accomplished through physically exposing themselves. They revealed a new confidence in themselves through revealing themselves, which I did not expect to happen and it made the work all the more significant to me. Overall I helped to empower the individual through exposure.