Riley Parrish

BFA in Art & Design

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Riley Parrish: Portfolio Site

I see flesh.

I see flesh. is an installation about self-reflection of my body dysmorphia as a queer individual. Body dysmorphic disorder is an obsessive mental illness that causes a person to focus on a perceived flaw in their appearance. The installation will use fiber-based sculptures to portray my feelings of disgust towards my breasts and the disconnect between the mind and body. Both of the soft sculptures are made from different shades of pantyhose, poly-fil, and twine. Pantyhose are typically used to create the illusion of perfectly smooth skin. I decided to used the material not as a perfector but as a representation of my flaws. By twisting and contorting the material in the first piece, I wanted to depict my confusing thoughts of comparing my queer gender identity to society’s standards and gender norms. In the second piece, I exaggerated my mental and physical feelings by showing the constriction I feel while wearing a bra and not being stuck within the restrictions of my natural body.
This image shows the whole installation, which includes two soft sculptures, a large mirror mounted on the wall opposite to the sculptures, and two poems written on the mirror.

I see flesh., 2021, 96” x 180” x 120”

This image shows one of the hanging sculptures created from pantyhose, poly-fil, and thread. The sculpture twists in and out of itself creating a large knotted mass with nipples at the ends of the individual soft sculpture forms.

Tangled, 2021, 34” x 24” x 22”

A close-up image of the knotted soft sculpture. It shows the ripples on the nipples, texture from the poly-fil, and curves of the individual soft sculpture forms.

Tangled, 2021, 34” x 24” x 22”

This image shows the other hanging sculpture within the installation. Multiple rounded soft sculpture forms are wrapped tightly to create the visually constricted object. These sculptures are also connected together with twine.

Restrain, 2021, 89” x 36” x 12”

This is a low-angle close-up image of the constricted hanging sculpture. It shows how tightly the twine was wrapped around the soft sculpture forms.

Restrain, 2021, 89” x 36” x 12”

This image shows the written poems on the mirror, along with the reflection of the knotted sculpture.

In the Mirror and In My Dreams, 2021, 20” x 24”

In the Mirror, 2021, 11″ x 8.5″


In My Dreams, 2021, 11″ x 8.5″


This image is a mirror self-portrait. The artist is sitting on a chair wearing their chest binder next to their constricted hanging sculpture. In the top left-hand corner, the last few lines of their poems can be seen written on the mirror.

Bound: A Self Portrait, 2021, 10” x 16”

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