Elasticity Exhibition
Displayed on April 17-20, 2024 at DAAP (Design, Art, Architecture, & Planning)
Elasticity (Statement)
Sweet, juicy, vibrant; we digest fruit parallel to the consumption of the feminine experience. Peeling away the flesh - discarding all but what is “beautiful” and desired.
Women are expected to advocate for their autonomy, but how can they stand up for themselves in a society that constantly sexualizes their bodies? A fear of judgment, irritation, and apathy contribute to the expectation to remain silent about the physical and mental pain experienced while receiving care. I desperately reached for ordinary items to mask this discomfort. I was forced to find a new way to be heard.
This work embodies the complex layers of female healthcare: embarrassment, shame, beauty, fragility, and rage. I aimed to capture the emotional challenges women face to fully accept and embrace their bodies in all of its forms.
Through these photographs and films my hope is that women will begin to feel heard, seen, and safe within the constraints of their own skin. Imagine a world where we are all able to fully celebrate the beauty of the female body as opposed to ostracizing its differences. A world where we can acknowledge both the peel and the core by openly discussing all aspects of the journey that is womanhood.
The exhibition Elasticity was designed in collaboration with Sarah Schaen
Layer by Layer
A pure and whole form lingers, fearing what awaits. With an angered grasp, each layer is desperately shed away. An anxious undertone reflects the harsh reality of knowing what is to come. The stark marks, quick in repetition, cause the pain to blur as the aggression intensifies. Clenching to the internal juices, struggling to prevent bleeding out knowing… this is just the beginning. Permanent cuts carve into flesh that one day may or may not scar. With tortured breaths, the fight for air intensifies as the form becomes misconstrued and what's left is man handled. Forever tainting what was once so beautifully pristine.
A sharp inhale at the reality that remains.
“oh honey”
The sweetness of honey reflects the joy of two becoming one. Over time the intensity of the original contribution starts to combine within the other - each losing their own individual identities and becoming a new and whole entity entirely. The remaining singular substance is no longer palatable as it was prior to conjoining.
“Cheers!” to the consumption of what has become, despite its lackluster appearance and taste. I gag harshly at the new substance formed, choked by the overwhelming sugar, yet longing for the remaining water to cope. Ceasing consumption, the honey drips, a mockery to its original state. One stitch at a time the previously shed layers are sewn into the outer shell of the pure white shirt, leaving only pity behind - “oh honey”
a stake in My Ground.
Shaking in the dark, the knock comes as abruptly as a morning alarm clock. It’s time.
There is nothing left to do but once again mourn the temporary loss of a previously untouched body. All that is heard is the sound of scissors through muffled cries as sharp pain takes hold. The mind goes dark as it feels the internal thread of the sutures scar in a way no physical wound will ever reflect.
The sobs eventually cease. All that is left is the paralyzing feeling of shock from the red liquid that runs. It’s quiet now, time to wave a flag for the ground that is left.