Old photographs documenting psoriasis in dermatology books always look dramatic, visually strong and, for me, fascinating to look at. Physically, I relate to all of the them; I know what these bodies would have felt like.
Contrary to the photographs, I can never physically relate to old drawings representing psoriasis. They are exaggerated representations, repulsive and scary. They are entirely visual and not felt. It seems like the person drawing was repulsed by what they were drawing.
I have addressed these old photographs and drawings of psoriasis in my art journal The Book of Skin (volume 2). It is a section of the art journal that I find particularly interesting, because the personal stories meet the bigger history.
I haven’t come across many contemporary representations of psoriasis, but I often think of Alice Retorré’s illustration for the podcast À fleur de peau in which Fabienne Laumonier documents various remedies and cures for her psoriasis.
The photo portraits by Emily Lipson of people with psoriasis on Allure are a rare find as they reveal what is normally concealed. Psoriasis is normalised, even beautified. The photos do not give a sense of the feeling of skin but the visuals remind me to not be harsh on myself – since I don’t judge their bodies negatively, why should I do it to myself?
THE SKIN PROJECT 