THE CABINET OF THE BIOENGINEER SERIES
THE SELF-PLEASURE PRACTICIAN
2002
Oil on canvas
100x100cm
It seems that with the advent of plastic surgery the need to change one's features has been ever increasing. This signals a remarkable dissatisfaction with one's own looks and body image, however, bigger lips, rounder breasts, straighter noses though, might be steps that are too small to close the gap between what one feels one wants to look like and how one really looks.
Our Bioengineer is a modern guru. He formidably combines knowledge of the psyche with a pin-point precise art of surgery. He believes that the cause of people's dissatisfaction with their appearance lies on a deep level and needs more dramatic actions.
He maintains that nature is not always 100% accurate in matching one's look to one's inner self and that this inconsistency results in one's discomfort. He thus develops the simplistic idea of look makeover into a process of revelation of the inner self and advocates more substantial changes of the body. Indeed his ultimate goal is that of achieving a thorough coherence between essence of the person and outward appearance.
To further this purpose he first quests for the patient's true self. Obviously hindrances may arise. The patient most likely may not be aware of his true self or perhaps they do not want to look into it as it may prove unpleasant. Despite this, the bioengineer will dig it out, make it comprehensible to the patient themselves and ultimately give it appropriate outward shape. This final task he will carry out by physically modifying the body on the operating table.