The Provocateurs Of Instagram Identity @flesh_effect

Human flesh, when taken out of the context of the body as a whole, is grotesque. Scroll through the feed of Instagram account @flesh_effect and feel yourself squirm. Medical diagrams, close-ups on eyes, eggs, brains, tongues, plastics, teeth, bone, insects, animal skin, and combinations of flesh and metal are the medium for which curator Marisa Zuk uses to explore the identity placed on the body. Bodies being the psychical medium for our own notion of self and self-expression. Social media being a place where this sense of self is often skewed. Representation of the body is commonly exaggerated and placed within a visually appealing filter. @flesh_effect takes this idea and turns it on its head. 

“Finding visceral expressions of my psychological states helps me step outside of them and become the clinical observer,” Zuk expressed to Dazed Digital. Expanding her sentiment with the notion that she is, through visceral imagery, exploring mortality. Through the use of images, completely detached from the normalized human anatomy, Zuk melts the template of the body into its primitive and altogether grossest form. Instinctually vial, the images explore a facet of identity not often in the forefront of analysis. Especially on a platform that tends to showcase the commercially appealing forms of the human body. 

The meat, muscle, and fat that creates the body is something that is completely universal in terms of structure. Teeth growing inside the skull for instance, although terrifying to see through marrow, is a function of the body. Flesh in its essence is void of personal identity. Yet ironically, Zuk, through prima materia expresses self identity in a way that reflects our culture yet challenges its aesthetically pleasing visuals. Instagram, in particular, being a social platform in which we see this need for self-expression on a large scale. Proportion, shape, gender, and a myriad of other traits that humans use for self-identity are all so closely associated with flesh. 

Animalistic structures like snakeskin or fish scales are shown in tandem with hairy fish-netted legs, latex bodysuits, and bloody mouths. All of which have textural and sensory elements that add to the viewer’s reaction. None of which leaves us with the reassurance of our own sense of self we crave through social media. Experiencing and exploring complex concepts through social platforms is where identity is being challenged. @flesh_effect being a profile that both confuses, questions and inspires the need for a new look on the way we view our anatomy.