artist statement

ColourMeWise

In conversation around strategies and practices to insulate and reset from exposure to trauma, the witness described three body centers of response to their work with trauma – the brain (cerebral, professional, work), the heart (human, empathetic, friends) and the gut (visceral, unpredictable/uncontrollable, family).

This made me think of the story of the three wise monkeys – see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil – and the familiar gestures of hands covering the eyes ears and mouth. That story originally was a call to strive for peace, harmony and goodwill but is now often used as an admonishment against those who choose to ignore wrongdoing.

I wanted to focus on those three response centers and gestures, highlighting their location on the body, emphasizing the active participation of my witness in
the trauma response.

The colouration of each figure is based on a colour association as described by from my witness relating to each response type and the colour of the base and attached LEDs reflect the colour of an associated chakra.

The wire used to support each figure is from a coat hanger. Coiled sections and bent forms are original, recognizable features of the hanger and reference that my witness works with trauma survivors who have sought abortion services.

I also wanted to animate the work, make it interactive and somehow playful, allowing the audience to connect with the figures, reminiscent of playing with paper dolls in our youth. 

There is a mirror piece attached to each of the figures, offering a glimpse of yourself within the work, but also implying a potentially harming burden carried in each response. The wireless (inductive) LEDs attached to each figure light up when an electronic wand is brought into proximity with them, a surprise reward for looking at the gestures in a more close and focused manner.

Power Stance

This single flat felt figure, based on the same form as in the work ColourMeWise, honours the work my witness undertakes to strengthen herself for her work with survivors of sexualized violence. Red is a colour she associates with power and feeling in control. The gesture is a power stance, hands on hips, squared shoulders, solid footing.

I have encased mirrors at each source of response, the sharp, cutting edges contained and buffered in a layer of insulating wool. The wireless LEDs are white light, comprised of all the wavelengths of visible light, balanced.