Monika Strasser

Can Body Modifications Be Seen As Craft? Monika Strasser

The main question of this essay is: ?Can body modifications be seen as craft?? Craft is the essence of the author?s work and her passion. But she is also interested in beauty and has a critical approach to the fact that beauty generates pressure in society. Through history different ideals of beauty have been existing. Ideals of beauty and body modifications are very much connected to each other. Within this essay the author tries to connect the process of the interventions made to the body, in order to reach beauty, to her field of work, the crafts. As a trained crafts woman, she has also a critical view on existing hierarchies between different kinds of skilled making. Other artists with similar ideas in their work are presented. It is investigated how different sources define craft, making, tools, and body modification. Using this background, four ways to connect craft and beautification are presented: the use of tools, the making of tools, the body, and the process of making. It can be concluded that there is indeed a connection in the tools used to perform each task and the relation to the human body.