2375

The trauma body, arguably also considered an abject body, is created by infinite scenarios and can, therefore, have both intimate/personal and universal understanding.  2375 is a performance of holding five pounds of ash (the trauma/abject body) on the performer’s shoulders and back in order to pinch off into piles onto the floor.  Using my experiences as source material, the shoulders and back are both an area where I hold stress in my body as well as the location of battery during an assault many years ago.  

The abject body weighs five pounds, the average female body when cremated- or in this case, a "discarded self one wishes to forget.”  The performative action is the slow, repetitive removal of the pile from the back, by pinching it into little piles onto the floor.  Throughout the performance, the performer is on their hands and knees, a submissive position, as one yields to the impact of trauma and PTSD.  

The ash piles marks days- 2375 days to be exact- the period of approximate time I experienced emotional and sometimes physical abuse.  As they are removed, the performer counts aloud to imply the level and quality of communication throughout the 6+ year period.  The performance concludes by standing up, brushing the piles aside and leaving the space.

Developed and initially documented at Hospitalfield House, Arbroath Scotland

Performed at Edwin Zoller Gallery, Penn State University School of Art, State College, PA; Latvian Center for Performance Art, Riga, Latvia; IMRC, University of Maine- Orono, ME
Duration: variable, 4-5 hours
Date: 2018-19

FEBRUARY 25, 2019: Performance 2375 as part of “That’s What She Said” exhibition, Zoller Gallery, Penn State University SOVA, State College, PA; duration: 2.75 hour

JUNE 14, 2019: Performance 2375 as part of Starptelpa- Riga Performance Art Festival, Latvian Centre for Performance Art, Riga, Latvia duration: 2.75 hour

photos by Luchana Logina