My practise is predominantly concerned with examining the relationship we have with our physical self in a way that is not completely comfortable, but equally not destructive. As intellectual beings it is easy to lose touch with the physical experience of our body. Through my exploration of the materiality of the body I attempt to expose the preconceptions we have, which often results in a provocation of concepts socially considered to be taboo. I am fascinated with the public-private and appropriate- inappropriate dichotomy that surrounds notions in relation to the body; particularly in the discussion of gender, specifically when discussing the concept of femininity. Through the re-presentation of materials such as hair or blood that have universal familiarity, I am interested in how the gap between viewer and artwork can be bridged. The viewer becomes hyper-aware of their own body, therefore having a perceived physical experience.
My practice has always been multi-disciplinary, but more recently it has become increasingly performative, or action based. I am interested in questioning the dynamics of what performance is, or can be. I am also unsure of, but fascinated with the parameters of durational performance. When does the performance begin or end? Is it only a performance if there is an audience present? In fact, when are we not performing?
[INstitutional] BODY
This project is a response to the protocol in place at institutional settings that prohibit the use of bodily material within a public space. Ethical standards prevented me from performing my intended final work; for me this raised an interesting notion in relation to the presentation of body based work that I hadn’t considered. We perceive artistic works in public spaces to be a free expression of the artist, yet these works are often shaped by ethical standards and health and safety protocol. This is by no means an entirely negative influence, but it is interesting to consider the voice of both the artist and the institution within artistic works on display. If the ‘red tape’ creates a framework then where can free expression exist? Using red tape to cover the walls of the intended performance space it almost looks bodily with its visceral skin like quality. The absence of the body within the work of a body based artist creates a presence. Are these the traces of a performance that nobody saw?
