The work shown in this section is all the work I created during my senior year as a BA undergraduate in the Studio Arts. As a contingent sculptor and contemporary artist, I focus on bridging my arts education with sociology. I examine gender and sexuality through practices in sculpture, endurance performance, video work, tattooing, and printmaking. All of these works were exhibited in the solo 'turn out like your sister'. These are detailed images of the pieces as they evolved to be exhibited.
video of an abject way of making tea.
video available on vimeo.a wooden armoire covered in resin soaked fabric. a video is projected through the back showing a past version of me.
video available on vimeo.A performance piece at LIVLAB Water Shed project in Sylva, NC. I tattooed on pantyhose stretched across the opening of a wooden megaphone which interfaced the street. Contact microphones were attached to my tattoo machine so that the noise was projected towards people who passed by.
video available on vimeo.
detail image of the wooden megaphone interfacing with the street.
A video of me and a friend in Amsterdam. We are in the process of drag kinging. My part in the video focuses on the materiality of binding, while my friend focuses on both binding and makeup. While in the midst of physical separation, this short film portrays how the camera creates unison. Clips of Marlene Dietrich are included to look at the history and cultural attitude towards drag kinging. In current films, TV shows, and mass media, drag kings are typically viewed as 'playful' characters.
video available on vimeo.This chair is a cast of a folding chair. It is connected with shipping labels and a red strip down the middle of the seat. This chair is coupled with a rectangle of the material and a belt. The rectangle is tattooed with the word "disappointment". When flipped over, the piece resembles the word tattooed on skin and the permanent impression of the word on a body. The belt was a familiar form of punishment for me as a kid.
materials : tissue paper, glue, shipping labels, petroleum jelly, purity culture, red tattoo ink, corporal punishment, leather belt
Old silicone used for making molds is stuffed into a pair of pantyhose. The being slumps in a chair as a toe tag is tied onto the big toe. The tag is printed with the information of my sister. "I'm just disappointed" is tattooed up the leg on the silicone through the pantyhose.
materials : pantyhose, old silicone molds, "femininity", red tattoo ink, yarn, paper tag, shame
This series of photos shows the progression of vinyl that was heat shrunk to cast a chair . A happy birthday candle is then lit underneath the protective covering, causing the chair to melt. Ater minutes of exposure to an open flame, the chair caves in while leaving the cross trinket dish still encased. The cross contains the candy my grandmother used to give me when I was a child. The cigarettes were the same brand my grandmothers friend Barbra used to smoke on the back porch after school everyday.
materials : vinyl furniture covering, trinket dish, birthday candle, butterscotch, strawberry church candy, Marlboro Golds, juicy fruit gum, nostalgic childhood memories, tough love
This series of cyanotype prints explores stills taken during the filming process and a life size mural created after. The zip ties that were cut off during the film are now piercing through the mural.
These are stick n pokes I've done over the past three years. While these are examples of poking, I also use a machine as part of my practice.
