Alison Lapper

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Alison Lapper (2005)

Alison Lapper MBE (born April 7, 1965 in Burton upon Trent , Staffordshire ) is an English artist who was born without arms. It is also the subject of Alison Lapper Pregnant , which was exhibited in Trafalgar Square until the end of 2007 .

life and work

Alison Lapper has phocomelia and was born with no arms and short legs. She has lived in homes since childhood and was able to establish little contact with her relatives. The mother last saw her child at the age of four months; Lapper later made up with her.

When she got prosthetic arms fitted, she did not find them helpful, but rather as an attempt to make their appearance less disturbing; she refused them and learned to live without artificial aids. At the age of 19, Lapper left home and moved to London, where she obtained her driver's license. Lapper graduated from the University of Brighton and graduated first class in fine arts in 1994 .

Lapper uses photography , computer graphics and painting in her works, which, as she puts it, raise questions about physical normality and about beauty. She paints with her mouth. The sculpture Venus von Milo gained particular influence , which for Lapper says something about the similarities between the idealized female image and Lapper's body. She has participated in various British art exhibitions, for example in the Royal Festival Hall . She is a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists . In May 2003, Lapper was awarded the MBE for her work in the arts.

After the birth of her son Parys in 1999, who was born without physical harm, she created an installation of photographs that she and him show.

Marc Quinn's sculpture

Replica of Alison Lapper Pregnant in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games

Lapper posed for the sculptor Marc Quinn and his sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant . This was erected on September 15, 2005 on the fourth pillar of Trafalgar Square, which had been empty for some time. The 15-ton statue is made of Carrara marble and shows Lapper naked and heavily pregnant. The Plinthenkommission "Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group" exchanged Alison Lapper Pregnant in 2007 by Thomas Schütte's Model for a Hotel in 2007 from. The north-western plinth, which has not been used for a long time, is intended for changing objects.

literature

  • Alison Lapper: Autobiography of an Optimist . Blanvalet, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7645-0205-3 . Paperback edition with the title: I take my life into my own hands. Autobiography of an Optimist . Blanvalet, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-442-36989-8 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Lapper, Alison
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English artist
DATE OF BIRTH April 7, 1965
PLACE OF BIRTH Burton-upon-Trent , Staffordshire , England