How can one conjure a mental image of one’s own body, and yet be at a surprising distance to the body, especially when being presented with an image of the self? I am interested in the ambiguity within our own bodies – how there are parts of the body gazed upon by others that one cannot see for oneself, and how we do not recognize how alien the human form can be.

My practice also explores the physical activities and actions that the female body passes through – the daily routines of the female form, and the way in which the skin shifts and changes under the influence of the external world. Right now, my practice is looking into the materiality of the skin, and the skin as an entity in it’s own right – separate from the body, yet shaped by it at the same time.

Most recently I have been exploring the different ways of representing the body, in particular the way the body can be grotesquely exaggerated. During the residency, I shall push this research further. I will continue in exploring the female form and take inspiration from the natural surroundings at Artscape Gibraltar Point.

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Sarah Bending works with drawing, photography and video to explore the female form in its most carnal experiences, inside and out. She is an emerging artist studying a BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at Central St Martins College of Art and Design in London.