In this retrospective, Robert Gober utilized prosthetics detached from human forms to highlight the uniqueness of the human form. In other words, by separating body parts from the physicality of the body, Gober showed how foreign the human form can be. In the image above for example, a realistic foot/leg emerges from an unrealistic vagina. To me, neither aspect of this arrangement seemed more lifelike than the other aspect. While we accept that the foot closely imitates reality, the torso doesn’t seem outside the realm of plausibility when these items are detached from human forms.
