A Cook Book - The Journey Beyond Bariatric Surgery
Author: Professor Arabella Plouviez
Project: A Cook Book - The Journey Beyond Bariatric Surgery
The Co/Lab commission has enabled me to develop the start of a project with Dr Yitka Graham, and her research and on-going work with a patient group who have undergone bariatric surgery. Being let into this world was a real privilege, and I met with the patient group who were very generous both in their time and in sharing their experiences. Bariatric surgery is a life-changing procedure which affects not only physical changes, but also their social worlds. Many people who have undergone bariatric surgery are judged for their method of weight-loss, leading to high rates of disclosure to others, which can impact support they receive from others.
We developed the idea of creating a cook book that could bring together different voices to share recipes and stories of their on-going journeys beyond the surgery itself, using photographs to support, enhance and explore some of the themes and experiences shared. Cooking and food are so central to so many social events, but can also be challenging and emotional especially when one is feeling vulnerable and judged. As a starting point, I wanted to use photography to give voice to some of the challenges this group raised. Photography can be a difficult medium, as it can be over literal – showing the surface and sometimes struggling with complexity. This work is all about people and their shared experiences, but it is not about photographing the people themselves, they are the voices speaking through the works.
Rather, the images are studio constructions that draw on the traditions of still-life which symbolize the complexities of the social aspects of the post-bariatric surgical journey. Playing with the apparent timelessness of still life, the works also incorporate very contemporary references, and by embedding the quotes from individual’s experiences of self-doubt this allows for alternative interpretations to the elements within the photographs.