DISCOBOLUS
Lize Rubens
Paperback, 225 x 165 x 14 mm, 176 pages, English
I confess: this book is not about bodybuilding. Well, not exclusively. It is about the aesthetics and mental strength underlying the sport. About the pursuit of unattainable perfection, the emergence of ideals of beauty and their influence. About mental strength and inner focus. About everyone’s particular Discobolus.
I alternate between conflicting thoughts. Extreme perseverance is often astonishing as well as alarming. I am fascinated by this paradox, many questions simultaneously fight for a place in my head. I project this idea onto our daily actions and thinking and ask myself: is overcoming inner insecurity a legitimate or deceptive driving force for achievement?
Why is it that we associate so much happiness with the beauty we pursue?
Does the gain in self-esteem outweigh the damage to the body or psyche? Is our outer façade our daily stage performance? What lurks beneath the skin? In the quest for mental strength, inner focus and personal balance, do we also take into account the proverbial ‘backpack’ of experiences that have scarred us? And will that backpack get lighter in time, or are we like a whale that would collapse under its own weight on land... What is the weight of your Discobolus?
– Extract text by Lize Rubens