Average (arithmetic mean) of women’s bodies

• Other Authors: Behar, Linda (author)
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Florida Atlantic University
• Subjects: Advertising > Psychological aspects; Body image in women; Feminine beauty (Aesthetics); Feminist theory; Human body > Social aspects; Self esteem in women
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004079

Between 1939 and 1940 the United States Government conducted a study of the measurements of women’s bodies to establish a standardized system of garment and pattern sizes. The central theme of my research is to analyze the female figure in the context of a technology-driven global contemporary society. My thesis exhibition includes a body of work that echoes the pressures that Western Society employs by standardizing women’s appearances. The focus of the work is to confront the viewer with a visual examination, which illustrates the preconceived notion that Western Society portrays the female body as a commodity and exports those views to different cultures and societies. This calls to question: “who makes those standards endorsed by society and why women follow them?”. From the standardized measurements conducted by the United States Government, I generated a 2-D computer model of an outline of the generic female figure. Based on the 2-D representation, I constructed a series of ten 27”x36” inkjet prints and a 3-Dimensional prototype of the figurative form. The project consist on the manufacture of 14,698 molds base on the 3- Dimensional prototype -- 10% reduction of the size of the average female. === Includes bibliography. === Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014.. === FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection