After
stepping into the darkness of the installation, viewers immediately
re-orient themselves to the spinning lights and flickering images
that illuminate the walls, paper screens, and objects. Venturing further
into this labyrinthine room of bodies, one encounters nine separate
tableaus, each of which inhabits a discreet corner or space. By entering
each "interior," viewers occupy a psychological space as
well as a physical site. Like an inescapable memory of a disturbing
event, the images in each setting are powered by their own interior
systems, replaying themselves as if some master control mechanism
had failed. The incidents that I depict are intentionally recognizable
and deceptively simple: a child consumes food, a woman curtsies, an
eye roams the room, two feet walk on a tightrope. As they play, converse,
interact, and perform for each other and the viewer, however, the
extended play is propelled into an endless abyss of circular struggle.
What appears to be an ordinary game, conversation, or arrangement
ultimately becomes a performance for survival. |