Leslie Batty

This project reconsiders issues of feminine identity construction in light of my own recent diagnosis and recovery from breast cancer. As with previous work, ideas are explored by use of instructional sewing imagery and language from an era in western society when women primarily made their own clothing at home. Alterations particularly deals with the experience of undergoing a physical reconstruction and its social-psychological affects on self-image.

The materials and processes in these works are meant to further convey these concepts. While there may not always be stylistic similarities between the pieces, they are linked by recurring concerns and through subject matter.

Most of the women portrayed in this exhibit are friends of mine who have had their own personal experience with breast cancer and reconstructive surgery. With this project, I hope to acknowledge and honor their courage and friendship as well as the skilled surgeons who carefully reconstructed our bodies so that we could be well. A special thanks to my team of doctors: Margaret Hadcock, Christopher Perkins, and Carl Askren, the latter of whom is as much an artist himself as he is a scientist.