Everything else
Kitty Chick interviews me about Energize, a motion triggered interactive video and multi-channel installation at 119 Gallery.
Q: What inspired the portable hairdryer idea?
A: I found the portable hairdryer at a thrift store in Long Island during my Artist Residency at the William Steeple Davis House in 2006-2007. I had never seen one before and thought it was an unusually clever device. I appreciated the design and liked the looks of the dryer in its own little case with a handle. I tried to imagine the kind of person that would use a portable hairdryer. I wondered if it was some kind of a status symbol of another time. For months it became another thing that I held onto for a potential art project. Collecting things and living with them for a while is part of my creative process.
Q: What were you trying to express in your performance?
A: I started with the idea of sexuality. I was not trying to express one particular voice. But, subconsciously I think it turned into my secret love affair with the portable hairdryer. I befriended it in the privacy of my studio. We had coffee and toast with jam. I humanized an inanimate object and it loved me back more than some humans I know.
Q: Were you alone while filming?
A: Yes. I tend to work alone in the studio especially with new media. It gives me a chance to get acquainted with it on my own terms. I set up some spotlights, the backdrop, placed the camera on a tripod, and blasted some of my favorite music. That was my recipe for an intimate expression.
Q: Do you always shoot video as a means of self-expression?
A: No. I can count the number of videos I have shot on one hand. I am definitely an amateur when it comes to video. I use an old digital high-8 camcorder that belongs to my father. I don’t actually own a video camera. Sometimes I get ‘stuck’ working in two and three-dimensions. Video is an immediate process that enables the creative flow to not be interrupted by constraints of traditional media. It encourages spontaneity, which is an exciting alternative for me.
Q: How long have you been dancing for?
Q: What are your plans for a future exhibit?
A: I was eight years old when I started dance lessons. I danced through my first couple years of college in Philadelphia, PA. I became more involved with visual art and pursued formal training at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. However, the urge to perform still runs through my veins. I recently discovered authentic movement and contact improv dance. For future performances, I would like to find a balance between improv dance, traditional dance, video, art, and poetry. A conglomeration recipe of things left in the refrigerator, so to speak.
Q: Do you enjoy collaborating with other artists?
A: Yes. I am always interested in collaborating with other artists. Working with Walter Wright has inspired me to incorporate technology with two and three-dimensional work. Walter edited my video and masterminded the interactive video and sound channels. It was a fun exhibit to interact with and I was glad to be part of it.