Rhian Solomon, winner of the 2006 Surface Bursary Scheme completed her residency in June 2007. She has made a new collection of work examining plastic surgery using a series of post-operative pressure garments. The garments are printed, stitched and lasered with text taken from interviews she has conducted with people who have undergone plastic surgery – some of whom have had reconstructive procedures after illness and others who have opted for surgery for cosmetic reasons.

Rhian has worked closely with Holistic Garments, a specialist company who supply post –operative garments to cosmetic surgery patients. She has been given access to some of Holistic Garments own clients and has gathered significant primary research via a questionnaire formulated with the help of their in-house counseling team. Rhian has also formed a strong partnership with a former plastic surgeon, now the Senior Archivist at the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) and he has been instrumental in helping her to contact other practicing plastic surgeons, who have also given her valuable data.

Her final collection of work comprises a full body suit for use after breast reconstruction; a bra top for use after breast enlargement; a face mask for use after a face lift and a full size girdle for use after liposuction. She has also made a series of taped interviews with women – one a former professional model who survived breast cancer and subsequently had reconstructive surgery, and another who decided to have a breast enlargement after childbirth, when after breastfeeding her baby her cup size decreased dramatically. This woman felt much older than her actual age - 22 years old, and longed to feel young again. At that time, she also had a career as a pole dancer and, like many of her colleagues she also went in for surgery.

Rhian also questions herself on tape and examines how her feelings towards women who have decided to have plastic surgery have changed over the period of her research. Her initial position that very young women felt pressure to undergo invasive surgery – the infamous ‘boob job’ - in order to feel happier and lead more fulfilled lives, has moved on to one of greater understanding and feelings of empathy. A set of images of the interviewees wearing their post-operative garments is matched with playback of their audio interviews.

Rhian also has an audio tape and footage of a surgeon describing a face lift. It is filmed from his visor and is shot in black and white so audiences don’t see the red blood, but nonetheless it is still highly visceral. This is matched with footage of Rhian deconstructing the post-operative garments ready to print, stitch and laser etch onto, and subsequently re-stitch back into their original shapes using hospital suture.

Rhian’s work makes a fantastically innovative exploration at an axis between visual arts and science, and you can see more of her work in Departure 07 between 14 September and 27 October 2007.

The Surface Bursary Scheme is a partnership with ASC Studios and has been kindly funded by the Leverhulme Trust.