Constance White: Effigies of Beauty at The Residency Project in Pasadena

By Patricia Frischer

Sarah Umles, The Residency Project, Constance White, Gerda Govine, Pasadena Poet Laurate and Jamul resident. 

Many of you know Constance White from her years of dedicated service at the San Diego International Airport which, after the installation of dozens of art works, was declared the Art Airport of the year. But you may not know that Constance is an artist. After leaving San Diego she eventually return to her home town of Dallas. She works as an art consultant and also gives workshop on the subject of body image. She was chosen by Sarah Umles for The Residency Project in Pasadena because of the community nature of this work Effigies of Beauty. 

White worked with 7 artists during her residency to help them express the angst and joy of having the body of a women. In this phase of the project, the participants shared some of their stories while Constance endeavored to make a personal background for each them with a favorite flower and color. They took a digitized copy of this background and coupled it with a personal silhouette of their own bodies.

The basis of the healing process was an ancient Japanese technique called Kintsugi. Cracks were filled with lacquer mixed with powdered gold. By placing words on the body and covering them, the women in the project were able, in some instances, to give voice and closure to some of the pain associated with poor body image while at the same time celebrating the wonders of our flesh.

White herself has produced a whole series of works about her own body as you see in the video below. She will go back to Dallas for a 3 month residency and take this project to a further level, combining more medium (like fabric and acrylic plastic) to transform the project into the third dimension. 

The Pasadena retreat is a hands-off residency program, built to give the artist the time and space to think and work first and foremost, with the opportunity to present  work to new audiences. Retreat residents are not required to end the residency with a finished "product."  But like the final artist talk that I attended they are asked to present to the public. This could be an open studio, exhibition, performance, screening, or some other format. Emerging, mid-career, and established professional artists, as well as students in degree-seeking programs are all welcome to apply. Sarah and Matt Umles open their home and are to be congratulated on this wonderful innovative way for a young couple to support the arts. 

Art works made by Constance White for this body image series.

Darwin Slindee, Constance White, Patricia Frischer

A selection of the backgrounds and flower created by White for the participants

View of one of the background before the silhouette is added.