Judith Shaw

Judith Shaw

Judith Shaw is an american artist (Born New York 1953) who produces work based on her own experience with an eating disorder. She finally admitted at the age of 53 that she had Anorexia, and for her creating sculptures became and outlet to express the emotional and mental bondage of her illness.

http://judithshaw.com/index.html

"The steady weight loss provided a sense of accomplishment.  It attracted attention and provided a feeling of strength and power.  All visible on the outside, these physical changes masked ‘something’ that I was unaware existed on the inside.  Restricting food and trying to make myself invisible was a way to numb myself.  It helped avoid feeling the pain and fear of loneliness and concealed a deep-rooted sense of worthlessness.  What was more damaging than the outward effects of starvation, were the decay of my starved spirit, mind and personality."  

http://judithshaw.com/index.html

That quote from her artist statement is incredibly powerful and also very revealing, maybe I could use my own daily struggles with food and my body to inform my work in a similar way.  

http://judithshaw.com/index.html