‘THIN’ reveals pain of eating disorders 

From now until March 20, the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Gallery 210 is showing “Lauren Greenfield: THIN,” an exhibit of works by photographer/artist Lauren Greenfield that is a look into the lives of females ages 15 and over who have eating disorders. The artist and her exhibit were also the subject of last week’s Monday Noon Series.
The exhibit focuses on the residents at the Renfrew Center in Coconut Grove, Fla., where the artist visited.
Greenfield’s photographs show the emotional hurt and the loss that these women have gone through as a result of anorexia, bulimia and/or compulsive eating. This exhibit shows that eating disorders are a very real and present problem in our society, and that society has had a hand in the creation of these disorders.
The photos show women in different place around Renfrew, with unsmiling faces and with thin arms healing from self-inflected cuts. Greenfield captures the pain that is inside as well as outside of these women and girls. Her photos draw the viewer in, forcing them to take a look at these females and, for just one moment, consider what life must be like for those with an eating disorder that not only affects the body but also the mind.
In the “THIN” exhibit, some of the subjects provided a back story to their battles with their disorders, which were placed alongside the photos. The stories were very emotional and very moving, adding something to the photographs that cannot be adequately described. One subject wrote that she was raped twice and her mother got rid of the baby both times. There are many who cannot even imagine what this feels like, and that is just part of the story.
The women and girls talk of feelings of loneliness, worthlessness and ugliness.
Some came from good backgrounds and some from awful ones, but similar demons brought them to Renfrew. Some of them describe feelings of hope, while others are not as positive and say they will go through the therapy only to get out of it and continue their lives the way they were before Renfrew.
“THIN” also contains a short video documentary about Renfrew.
This video shows the residents on their routines, such as early morning weigh-ins, therapy sessions and meal times. There is a particularly emotional scene in which a 15-year-old girl breaks down in a group therapy session and cries about her desperate desire to be thin and her pain at always being overweight. This video is a more-than-gentle slap in the face of its viewer: it is a look into what some people with eating disorders are going through and how they have trouble doing the things that the “normal” woman might take for granted, such as eating or choosing an outfit for the day.
This exhibit is a real triumph for Greenfield. She has taken a serious problem that has been in the dark for a long time and dragged it into the light. “THIN” tells of a problem that is afflicting many women and girls in our society. The exhibit is touching, moving and very well done. Three cheers for Lauren Greenfield for an exhibit that is both affecting and informative. A- –Amanda Roach