Spring Break
Photos encourage campus to accept nudity, body images
Jessica Medeiros
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: News
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"I naturally knew about the anatomy of men, but I was still unsure about what was going on with women, and I was just trying to figure that out," Cordelle said. "The reaction of the woman was a reflection of the American guilt and shame that goes along with nudity."
The guilt and shame surrounding body image is something Cordelle attempts to combat in his photography exhibit, the Century Project, which features nude photographs of more than 50 women of diverse ages, races and experiences.
The exhibit is in the University of Rhode Island's Memorial Union Atrium 1 until Friday at 5 p.m.
The photographs are stark and realistic, capturing raw emotions, from ecstasy to shame.
Each photograph is accompanied by a short poem or story written by the woman in the picture. Some women described traumatic experiences such as child abuse, rape, self-mutilation and battles with disease. Other women expressed their opinions of their bodies, which ranged from embarrassment to pride.
During last night's panel discussion about the exhibit, Cordelle said the ultimate goal of the project is to raise awareness about the struggle women have with body image, and to do it in a way that challenges the stigma surrounding nudity in American society.
"In our culture, there is really no acceptable way to show nudity, unless it is in a sexual way," Cordelle said. "This exhibit allows people to open up about issues that are so taboo or so personal."
Cordelle said he is overwhelmed with the reactions of women who see his exhibit.
"I have never had an exhibit, whether I'm in an Ivy League school or I'm in the Bible Belt, where women don't come up to me in tears and give me a hug and say thank you," Cordelle said. "The response from women has been absolutely phenomenal."
But appreciation of the exhibit is not limited to women.
"The majority of men, particularly on this campus, look at the photographs respectfully, read the statements and truly get it," Cordelle said. "About 10 to 20 percent view the exhibit so quickly, without reading the statements, and I think that is because of the guilt and shame men feel because they acquaint nudity with sex and they feel bad about viewing these women in a sexual way."
While Cordelle said the message of the exhibit is lost on some men, he still considers them "an important 50 percent of [his] audience," and hopes they will discover things about women they would not have otherwise learned.
Panelist and URI professor Larry Grebstein said the exhibit is important because it addresses an issue that affects men and women, starting at an early age.
"All of us have insecurities, which are mostly the result of childhood teasing, and body image is the root of most teasing," Grebstein said. "For boys, God forbid you're the fat kid. For girls, it's breast size. They're never the right size. They're either too big or too small."
Grebstein said body image is important on a level deeper than physical appearance.
"Body image is first and foremost in influencing body image and self esteem," he said.
The Rev. Jennifer Phillips of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church and URI Hillel Director Amy Olson spoke of the importance of body image in relation to religion.
"Religion has a tradition of being tyrannical and controlling in terms of bodies, telling people what they can and can't do, rebuking certain body behaviors," Phillips said. "However, religion also stresses the reflection of the divine image in the human form."
Olson highlighted the importance of the religious perspective on body image.
"Every person is created in the image of God," Olson said. "Every woman downstairs in the exhibit is a beautiful reflection of God."
Sophomore Peri Stark said she was initially shocked by some of the images in the exhibit. However, she eventually relaxed and was able to appreciate the beauty of the women in the photographs.
"When you first walk in and see the pictures, you're really taken back because you're not used to seeing that kind of thing," Stark said. "It took a couple pictures before I could let myself go up and really look at them and read their stories."
Stark said as a 19-year-old woman, body image is never far from her mind.
"I'm just always thinking about my body or I'm looking at other people and thinking about their hair or how they look or what they're wearing. It never stops," she said. "These women are baring it all so that you have to look at who they are, stop seeing them as nude people and just see them."
