Breasts: A Fantastic Exploration of Art & Identity

What is the world’s fascination with breasts? Heck if I know, but they are fascinating and beautiful. Mesmerizing even. And we can’t stop looking. On April 27, 2018 – I had the wonderful opportunity to be part of a multi-artist art show, entitled Breasts: A Fantastic Exploration of Art and Identity. And I had the perfect idea. To photograph 100 people* and their breasts: to celebrate diversity and body positivity.

My muse came in the form of a dear friend who was diagnosed with the big C. A true artist herself, she asked me to follow her journey with my camera. She wanted to inspire and educate via her story. We had several photo shoots and it’s a work in progress.  She is now in her second round of radiation. And I’m going to continue shooting her as long as she wants me to. She’s a fighter, that one. And I a bearing witness to her battle. It’s a riveting story and the end has yet to be written. Each shoot with her started with a moment of vulnerability. As she showed me her breasts to be photographed, I could only stop and stare and revel in the beauty and sadness of what’s before me. I knew she would fight and win over cancer. She just had to.  I watch with bated breath, but I’m also drowning in a sense of helplessness. I need to do. more.

The breast. The bosom. The boob. And my Breast Friends Project was born.

So, I set on my quest to photograph 100 people. I made the call. And they came. In all forms, shapes and sizes. I welcomed them all. I photographed regular boobs, manboobs, queerboobs. Post-masectomy, pre-masectomy. Breast enlargements and breast reductions. I even photographed one man who had breast cancer and had a lump removed. Pierced breasts and milk-making breasts. Shy breasts and bold breasts. All the breasts.