The Last Taboo – The Zoomershow 2009

As an aging 41 year old woman and a visual artist, I felt compelled to paint a series of work documenting the journey of a couple undergoing cosmetic surgery. I was disconcerted by their attempts to become visible in society’s eyes by making their signs of aging invisible.

Znaimer keenly observes that we don’t discuss aging openly. With this body of work, I take the viewer behind closed doors, allowing one to see this couple attempting to shift society’s perception of themselves and perhaps, their own. My hope here is to open a dialogue about the “last taboo”, aging.

I believe that aging is an ordeal of the imagination and we can resist the cultural dictates regarding old age. A youthful body and appearance will only get us so far; it is a youthful mind that will prove to serve us as we continue to grow older.

Celeste Keller
2009