Skin Bags: Olivia Laing and the Authentic Human Form

Words by Sophie Norton

In February 2018, Tate Britain published a reflective essay written by Olivia Laing titled ‘Skin Bags’. It’s topic: the realness of the human body, with acknowledgement of the ways in which bodies are commodified and altered to fit a desirable image - particularly in regard to media and sex. The essay corresponded with an exhibition at Tate Britain that year, titled: ‘All Too Human: Bacon, Freud and a century of painting life’, which showcased a century of British painters that represented humans in their realness, who strove to capture the tangibility of life. 

Francis Bacon, ‘Three Figures and Portrait’ (1975) from the ‘All Too Human’ exhibition at Tate Britain.

I came across Laing’s essay in her 2020 book ‘Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency’, and was struck by the ugly way she immediately began to describe the human body: “the leaky vessel, permeable and expulsive”. This brutality of description may be often mistaken for ugliness, in an age where the only acceptable exterior to present is a shiny and perfect; one that has been carefully-constructed to appease an audience of critics. This has been perpetuated by the global adoption of social media, allowing anyone and everyone to express their opinion wherever they see fit.

Laing neatly refers to this phenomenon as “the pornification of everyday life” - a term whose origins are difficult to trace, but it’s recognised that McNair’s 1996 work in Mediated Sex is the first vigorous study of pornography’s role in mainstream pop culture, in terms of both imagery and references. Laing elaborates to include the buzz phrases “impossible amplification of visual attainment” and “two-gender world”, essentially explaining how the human experience is packaged and presented into something far prettier, and that it affects everyone regardless of your gender or identity. Laing pulls at the strings of ageism, particularly in the context of being female: “I’m 40, on the downhill run”, which sits its own web of sexist and objective issues that involves the perception of women as reproductive objects, and is maintained through continuous reiteration of beauty standards and expectations that ‘youth equals beauty’. The push of products like ‘anti-wrinkle creams’ and ‘anti-ageing serums’ are testament to this. 

Stanley Spencer, ‘Nude, Portrait of Patricia Preece’ (1935)

Laing’s essay has an existentialist sentiment, with a focus on how the human experience is raw, unapologetic, and beautiful as a consequence. She identifies works of art that act as a mirror towards the real bodies that we inhabit; examples of photography, painting and film. Joel-Peter Witkin’s photographs are first to be mentioned, specifically the body parts in surreal settings that are captured under his lens. Next is an older artwork: Hans Holbein the Younger’s ‘The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb’ from 1521-1522. Laing notes its portrayal of the ‘body as transitional object’. The body in question is Christ. A lifesize depiction of his bony, stretched-out corpse lying in his tomb, in shallow cross-section style. Closer inspection of the face and hands reveals a disturbing depiction of physical deterioration; greenish tinges, red sores and gaunt cheeks.

Hans Holbein the Younger, ‘The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb’ (1521-1522). Full-length image and close-up of skin detailing.

We move towards a more abstract view of things, with Laing’s outline of the 2013 Sci-fi/Drama ‘Under the Skin’ featuring Scarlett Johansson as a contemporary visual example of the perception of human sex from an outsider’s standpoint. Johansson-as-alien’s reaction to her borrowed human form is silently curious and touching in the same way that a lanky teenager grows into themselves. Her startled encounter with her own genitalia isn’t that dissimilar from many of our own; after all none of us were born with a manual tucked in-between there. 

Still of an eerie accelerated ageing process from ‘Under the Skin’ (2013)

Laing progresses onto some personal anecdotes, coming full-circle with her experiences of being a life model since she was a teenager, and the relationship she had with her body then and now. She talks about sex as an experience, not a front. It’s primal: a connection, a “point of exchange” between individuals. On a superficial level it can be mistaken for fighting, particularly when witnessed between animals. It’s raw and authentic and these emotions both come from the same place. Francis Bacon is one of the artists featured in Tate Britain’s corresponding exhibition, and Laing calls out the beauty of his “wrestling, copulating bodies” that blur the line between feeling and perceiving in all of their grotesque fluidity. Lucian Freud is another featured artist of the exhibition, and both him and Jenny Saville are noted for their display of the human body in all its unapologetic, fleshy glory -  rolls, genitalia and all. 

Lucian Freud’s painting of a nude David Dawson, observed by Dawson.

Jenny Saville, ‘Strategy’ (1994)

At first glance, Laing’s essay seems concerned primarily with the inevitability of getting old. She alludes towards deterioration more than once: “the onset of ruin, the actuality of decline”, and “the inexorable decline of our bodies”, in a pessimistic tone that reflects western society’s attitudes towards this sort of thing. I think what she’s really getting at is that the ugliness that we associate with our bodily functions (whether it be cellulite, stretch marks, scars, spots and more) should be celebrated rather than ‘fixed’. Our bodies are functioning vessels and their tasks and operations should be appreciated. I stand with Olivia Laing - that artwork in all of its many forms is an excellent way to do so. 

We will discuss Olivia Laing and ‘Skin Bags’ in our next book club session on the 25th of November. Join us for discussions on the theme of art and literature, the dates and topics will be announced on our social media so keep an eye out.