Artists and the human body
Nontsikelelo “Lolo” Veleko (1977-) from Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2004-7, pigment print on cotton rag paper. Courtesy of Goodman Gallery.
Some of us adorn our bodies to express to the world who we are. We clothe them, we decorate them. In some cultures, people are required to hide all or part of their bodies when in public. In others, people are free to appear as they wish to, with relatively few restrictions.
Clothing is one of the aspects of our lives that is subject to the most complicated of social mores, rules and regulations, do’s and don’ts.
Lolo Veleko
Lolo Veleko’s photographic images capture the wildly individualistic creativity of other people, and of herself. These images are from the series called Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder, in which Veleko photographs people on city streets who attract her attention. These are people who, she feels, project their own new forms of identity in defiance of old conventions, rejecting stereotypes of “identity” that may have been foisted upon them by their wider social group.
Nontsikelelo “Lolo” Veleko (1977-) from Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2004-7, pigment print on cotton rag paper. Courtesy of Goodman Gallery. 
Nontsikelelo “Lolo” Veleko (1977-) Images from Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2004-7, pigment print on cotton rag paper.
Courtesy of Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg.Nontsikelelo “Lolo” Veleko (1977-) Images from Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder series, 2004-7, pigment print on cotton rag paper.
Courtesy of Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg.
Talk About This
Think about how you dress when you can choose exactly what to wear. You may think you choose your look freely, untroubled by social expectations. But do you? What most reflects the person you want to be? Do you think this is tied up with your identity? What most shows that you really just conform to the crowd?
Artists and the human body
