Lauren Kalman "Devices for filling a void" and Anika Smulovitz "Lip Liner"

Lauren Kalman has interested me for a while, and recently I've been thinking more about the idea of making work that is not just "Of" the body but which interacts with the body. Also thinking about discharge, effluvia, reverence and saliva, her work fits into my thought processes well right now. She also seems to think lots about the idea of the liminal or empty space in the body, which interests me partly because the empty space in the body is more of an idea than a reality- the mouth is never a void, the empty space is filled by tongue and cheek flesh and saliva. The womb, stomach and lungs are fleshly and filled, the idea or sensation of emptiness is a chemical occurrence. 

Lauren Kalman: Because I use my body in my work, and have since I began using photography and video, I am interested in exploring the subjective experiences I have as an inhabitant of my body. These are linked to being a white, cisgendered female. Again I think that it is important for me to try to call these identities out in my work, rather than expecting my body to be read as some sort of neutral ground. Jewelry specifically, and crafts generally, are also associated with females (as both the wearers and makers). My objects are then placed on the female body, so dealing with gender seems like a logical part of my work.

The below images are by Anika Smulovitz, a great example of artwork that draws attention to the liminal spaces in the body, also especially places that "collect"- thinking about the subtle and small crevasses and corners that might become a small host for colonies of bacteria, pooling saliva, or torrents of skin cells. 
Each piece is custom made for the lips that model it.

"My background as a jeweler has led me to explore lips in the context of the interrelationship between the body, adornment, and issues of intimacy... The line that is created where the lips meet when a person’s mouth is in a relaxed pose is almost as unique and individual as a fingerprint. I want to accentuate this distinctive and compelling part of the body, bringing attention to the lips without interference or constraint."