Inspired by performance artists such as Bruce Nauman and Joan Jonas, I use my own anxiety which has flourished during the 2020 Quarantine. Using the medium of digital photography, I examine my eyes and mouth with the camera acting as a microscope. These places are where I hold most of my physical tension and I must often check on myself to loosen my jaw and relax my brow. Using a crystal, I distort my own features, to magnify and expand the minute shifting of my face. My eyes multiply, and my brows remain in a constant state of tension. My teeth are numerous, and they chew each other endlessly. These motions combined with the multiplying effect of the crystal create a series of actions that are incomplete, but self-fulfilling. The excess of energy without outlet, being confined to my home, has changed the way I see action and inaction. Even when in a state of rest, the metabolic processes of my body keep me moving, despite how I may feel otherwise. In splitting the tension across many crystallized facets, I reclaim my energy and allow for freedom in movement, even whilst staying in place.
I would like to humbly acknowledge that I live and work on the traditional and unceded territory of the Stó:lō people. I am immensely grateful for the space I occupy and give my thanks and respect to the original stewards of this land.
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