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cosmetic

image: mask (2008), an artwork showing a hood made from white crepe bandages with cut out sterling silver ovals revealing the eyes, representing the healing process associated with cosmetic surgery © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.
image: mask (2008), an artwork showing a hood made from white crepe bandages with cut out sterling silver ovals revealing the nostrils, representing the healing process associated with cosmetic surgery © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.
image: mask (2008), an artwork showing a hood made from white crepe bandages with a cut out sterling silver oval revealing the mouth, representing the healing process associated with cosmetic surgery © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.

mask 2008, crepe bandage, sterling silver, giclee prints,  175 x 260 x 8mm objects, 400 x 300 x 35mm, photography by Terence Bogue

image: bake (2008), an artwork showing the word 'raw' sunburnt into pale skin of the decollette area of a womans chest © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.

bake 2008, sunburn, giclee print, 330 x 470 x 35mm, photography by Terence Bogue

image: cosmetic (2006) - an artwork showing a close up of a womans closed left eye with small pins marking how an eye is drawn on prior to eyelid or eye tuck cosmetic surgery © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.
image: cosmetic (2006), an artwork showing a pair of womans closed mouth with small pins stuck in regular intervals around the perimeter of the lips, to highlight injection sites for botox © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.

cosmetic 2006, stainless steel pins, giclee prints, 330 x 470 x 40mm, photography by Terence Bogue

image: tuck(2008), an artwork showing a corset made from stretchy white crepe bandages with a large circle cut out of the centre, a womans stomach is protruding through the hole © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.

tuck 2008, crepe bandage, giclee print, 330 x 470 x 35mm, photography by Terence Bogue

image: extension (2008), one of two images of an artwork showing a close up of a woman wearing handmade eye lash hair extensions that cascade down her face. This particular image is a side profile close up of the womans right eye, it is open and staring through the long hair protruding from her eyelid �© Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.
image: extension (2008), one of two images of an artwork showing a close up of a woman wearing handmade eye lash hair extensions that cascade down her face. This particular image shows her facing straight at the camera with both eyes closed and the image is cropped to just above her eyebrows and below her nose © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.

extension 2008, synthetic hair, 330 x 470 x 35mm, photography by Terence Bogue

image: clamp (2008), an artwork showing a womans mouth with her lips pared back and clamped with sterling silver clips, exposing her teeth in a grimace - emulating an open wound during surgery © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.

clamp 2008, sterling silver, elastic, 330 x 470 x 35mm, photography by Terence Bogue

image: peel (2008) - one of two images of an artwork showing a close up of a woman peeling skin from her forehead in a large piece to make a veil, emulating the process of a chemical peels used in the beauty industry © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.
image: peel (2008) - one of two images of an artwork showing a close up of a woman peeling skin from her forehead in a large piece. In this image the womans forehead and eyes are covered by a peeled piece of skin veiling her eyes, emulating the way the forhead skin is peeled back during facelift surgery © Tiffany Parbs, all rights reserved.

peel 2008, PVA glue, skin, 330 x 470 x 35mm, photography by Terence Bogue

cosmetic suggests aesthetic surgery processes act as a surface refurbishment disengaged from a persons underlying beauty. Work developed for this series is largely ephemeral, challenging the permanence of common cosmetic surgical interventions.  Pieces reference aspects of the surgical process; from pre-op marking, open wound and healing, through to more subtle cosmetic embellishments. The body displayed is segmented- mirroring the process of cosmetic surgical consultation and resolution, a reduction and splitting of the self into a series of parts as opposed to knowledge of the body as a whole.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body

© Tiffany Parbs. All images and content are copyright protected, all rights reserved
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