“The Tutu Project began in 2003 as a lark. I mean, really, think of it. Me photographing myself in a pink tutu, how crazy is that?”
That’s how artist Bob Carey describes the origin of his series of topless self-portraits wearing frilly pink tulle. But during his photographic journey, the project took a more meaningful turn when his wife was diagnosed with cancer.
She beat the disease only to have it return a few months later; “During these past nine years, I’ve been in awe of her power, her beauty, and her spirit. Oddly enough, her cancer has taught us that life is good, dealing with it can be hard, and sometimes the very best thing—no, the only thing—we can do to face another day is to laugh at ourselves, and share a laugh with others.”
With several photos under his… umm… tutu, Bob has turned a fun photography essay into serious fund (and awareness) raising. Later this year, he will self-publish an art book Ballerina, with all proceeds going directly to breast cancer organizations including Cancercare.org.
He’s raising money by asking for sponsors to back a photograph, buy a t-shirt, pre-order the book or simply donate to the cause. I’ll certainly be buying this art book – as you might have guessed, it’s right up my street!
See more Ballerina pictures at Bob’s website The Tutu Project
This is great, the artist’s website has tons of amazing photos on it so its worth a look. Why didn’t I think of doing this??