Perfect
8 is a publication dedicated to the deobjectification of people. It
contains mostly visual works from various artists who encourage the
growth of empathy in people through their artistic medium.
Perfect, defined as “lacking nothing essential
to the whole”, (dictionary.com), combined with the number 8,
which refers to a deficient score in the conventional rating system
of our culture, (8 out of 10,) forms a new expression conveying a
sentiment and recognition of the beauty found within the imperfections
of people. Perfect also being defined as “complete of its nature
or kind”, (dictionary.com), lends itself to the view that the
individual can only be construed as perfect when all attributes of
the whole person are acknowledged.
To deconstruct a myth perpetrated
in our society that people are objects and obtainable products, Perfect
8 engages viewers and readers on an empathetic level, attempting to
induce a curiosity, and ultimately a questioning of what it would
be like to experience the feelings of an other. This is done by offering
an alternative to the concept of a “Perfect 10” as one
without faults, frailties, or weaknesses. Perfect 8 celebrates an
unveiled humanity, one that embraces the beauty found in these “faulty”
qualities.
