Cristina Burns Visual Artist and Social Advocate

Often, plastic and cosmetic surgery share complex, invasive, and painful procedures. While the former responds to a medical necessity, the latter is purely elective – it satisfies a mental need. It answers a perceptual want, calling for a leap into one’s fantasy, a world that is altered, and, in some cases, totally invented.

In my creations, anthropomorphic cosmetic surgeons and their assistants busily transform noses, breasts, and cheek bones. The partially or totally knocked out patients await that the fantasy of a lifetime comes into being, while completely at the whim of the surgeons. They seek a change that would allow them to live Happily Ever After.

In these works, Mickey Mouse, one of the world's most recognizable fictional characters, is the cosmetic surgeon. He is the primary means by which the patient reaches a fantasy world. Mickey’s traditional white gloves fit the hands of the surgeon as he performs his transformational work. Other Disney characters, such as Goofy, Snow White, and Miss Bunny serve as assistants.