Artist Statement
This is a pictorial travelogue of a weight loss journey. Unfortunately, weight loss, especially when it is more than just a few pounds , is a long journey. To go from a Body Mass Index (BMI) of “Obese” to “Overweight” (and let’s not even talk about the final destination of “normal”) will take saying good bye to some good and faithful friends (i.e. emotional eating), and require a lifetime of eating strange foods ( i.e. vegetables) and visiting exotic locations (i.e. gym). It is the losing of one identity and the striving towards a new identity which you hope is: 1) achievable, 2) sustainable, 3) healthier, and definitely 4) sexier even though it won’t make you younger. My artistic influence comes from Matisse’s Large Reclining Nude, Louise Bougeois, and ancient Venus figurines.
Here are the words that are printed on some of the pictures.
How much weight have you lost?
1 pound = a Guinea Pig
1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs
3 pounds = an average human brain
4 pounds = an ostrich egg
5 pounds = a Chihuahua
6 pounds = a human's skin
7.5 pounds = an average newborn
8 pounds = a human head
10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year
11 pounds = an average housecat
12 pounds = a Bald Eagle
15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs
16 pounds = a sperm whale's brain
20 pounds = an automobile tire
23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year
24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream
25 pounds = an average 2 year old
30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
33 pounds = a cinder block
36 pounds = a mid-size microwave
40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg
44 pounds = an elephant's heart
50 pounds = a small bale of hay
55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner
60 pounds = an elephant's penis (yep, weights more than his heart!)
66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year
70 pounds = an Irish Setter
77 pounds = a gold brick
80 pounds = the World's Largest Ball of Tape
90 pounds = a newborn calf
100 pounds = a 2 month old horse
111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year
117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she's 5'11")
118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica
120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month
130 pounds = a newborn giraffe
138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year
140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year
144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she's 5'4")
150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary
187 pounds = an average adult man
200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds
235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 pounds = an average football lineman
400 pounds = a Welsh pony
By this scale I have lost an average 2 year old, a human head, including the brain, and all my skin.
