Not being able to post work because I’m making it for a follower makes me sad.

It does mean that in a few weeks there’ll be a nice backlog of new work.

Braid Piece: An unintentionally subtle piece about rape culture

I posted my most recent work, Braid Piece  to my art blog on Friday. 

For this work I braided long bundles of twine together using my body as a mechanism for creation by not involving any outside materials or tools to aid in the work’s process (other than scissors to cut excess). Each tier 1 braid took between 1.5 and 3 hours to make and more braids were created from these braids and so on for 4 tiers. 

Due to the limited number of elements within the work, as well as the extended, personal process, it spoke to me about many themes and motifs. The bond and relationship between artist and artwork is very apparent in this work. It is the hope of every artist that you put enough of yourself, (your ideas, energy, time, passion, etc) in to the work that eventually it can stand up on its own without the artist. And isn’t that also the wish of every mother? This theme is particularly apparent because I chose not to continue the performance in its final presentation. The five stages showcase enough of the process, and represent enough time for the work to be satisfying without my presence. 

Although I knew that this piece held a wide range of interpretations, it wasn’t until Friday when I realized what this really was: a visual representation of my time at home. Now I know that that does not immediately imply a theme related to rape culture, so allow me to explain.

This piece was conceived during a period in time in which I needed something to do with my hands while I was at home watching tv. Being at school - and especially in the male heavy studio - was becoming too anxious of an experience for me to continue to do work there. Each braid movement directly represents a moment in which I could not leave my apartment. During the day it was due to anxiety of being in the studio with men that I did not feel respected me, and at night it was due to the fear of going out after dark. I’m not part of the club culture. When I do go out at night, it has to be earned by a particularly good show. I (like many women I know) am much more afraid to go out after dark (which in the winter can start at 5pm) and have had this fear instilled in me since a very young age (let’s say 6 years old- the first time I wasn’t allowed to walk down the street alone [during daylight]). I put an extreme amount of effort in ensuring my safety which often means getting back to the safety of my home as soon as I possibly can. As I have limited space and a cat who enjoys eating everything, it is a constant struggle to continue to be productive while staying in my home. And that’s what these braids are. These braids showcase the “productive” process I have to have in my home because I am so afraid of being in the world. 

Some might argue that this sounds like an extreme case of anxiety disorder but people who know me will be the first to point out that I am a high functioning artist who is currently handling a maximum course load quite well. Most people I interact with are surprised to hear that these things are constantly being thrown around in my brain. But this is not about the anxiety that I feel during social interactions. This is about avoiding/limiting circumstances that may lead to personal harm (mental or physical) because I am a woman.  This keeps me in the home, ironically, exactly where the patriarchy believes I belong, doing a type of “women’s work” (braiding) because of the danger (physical and mental) that I am exposed to anywhere else in the world but the confines of my home.