This body of work is temporal in nature. Because these costumes are created for
movement on the human form, the pieces are only half-present apart
from the body. Performances happen only once while only documentation remains for subsequent viewers. The viewers present at the happening witness something that for each person is distinct and further defined by previous life experience and individual perception. Models interact with and even touch the audience members, creating strong reactions and discomfort for some while other mesmerized audience members look on.
The endocrine system, the nervous system, the visual cortex, and other internal
arousal mechanisms manifest outside the body. Veins and bumps cover
shiny surfaces. Materials such as printed fabrics, cast paper,
branches, printed skin, and undergarments lose individual identity in
a mobile visual cacophony.
My process involves many disciplines and media: printing my own fabrics and models via collograph,
silkscreen, and relief; costume design and construction; sculpture
methods; dance and theatre; photography and videography; music and
composition among others.
These works change the human silhouette, at times choosing to emphasize parts of the body that are
not typically considered arousing in American society. In some
costumes I focus entirely on the parts directly involved with a sexually
so-called "deviant" behavior; at other times I create entirely new areas in the
silhouette based on strange internal shapes. The deviant behaviors
themselves often enter the work. Models are contorted into strange
and uncomfortable positions. Some are restrained by costumes, unable
to create certain movements of the body. Others are unable to see and
experience sensory deprivation during shows.
Historically I am indebted to the movements Fluxus and Dada for creating the foundations for
performance, whimsy, temporality, and discomfort in all the arts. Sha
Sha Higby and Leigh Bowery offer contemporary inspiration for
interdisciplinary creation and genuine delivery. Collaboration with
other performers, researchers, and media is intrinsic to my work in
the creation of an environ and Gesamkunstwerke (an
all-encompassing art experience), not just an object.
