[artist/producer]
My portfolio on here was in desperate need of updating and editing, so I took the opportunity to redesign the whole site. The brand new look comes with brand new galleries – including documentation of my last work, Fragment, at UNFIX ReBirth! in Glasgow.
I’ve been too quiet on here for too long, it’s been something of a hibernation – processing, planning, moving, re-adjusting – and now I feel like I’m getting back on track, so here’s some updates on some things:
Work
+ Last year I contributed to Thomas John Bacon’s piece ‘PERCEPTION:Lab’ which was performed this summer in Boston. I, along with 12 other artists, gave Thomas a sealed envelope containing an action that he would perform for an hour. Each action ‘was designed to stimulate the potential for failure through impossibility or risk’ and on 20 June Thomas opened each envelope in turn and perform it’s action, in an intense piece that lasted 13 hours. Find out more on Thomas John Bacon’s website. My contribution was Action 12.
+ After performing at Tempting Failure festival in each year it has run, I am very excited to say that this year I have joined the team as an Associate Producer and am looking forward to being able to share more news about Tempting Failure soon. For now check out the new website and like us on Facebook.
Union –  with Philip Bedwell.
FRI 20 MARCH – 3.45pm
The Mary Barbour, Pearce Institute. //BUZZCUT// festival
We cease to be connected physically but now joined through the shared ritual and our mirror image bleeding bodies. We both carry our lives marked in and on our bodies. Scars, tattoos, injuries have inscribed us with our stories and our passions. It’s natural for us to mark our marriage in a similarly physical way, and although we are joined, legally and romantically, we continue to be separate, individual and independent.
Work
+ Images from my piece ‘She was the Universe’ performed at SPILL Festival of Performance 2014Â are now online!
+Â I’ll be at //BUZZCUT// 2015 in Glasgow from 18 – 22 March, performing Union alongside Philip Bedwell. It’s my first time at //BUZZCUT// and I’m looking forward to it.
Watch
+ Marco Brambilla, Sync. I watched part of this in the Destricted collection of explicit art films. Montages of found footage – Sex, violence and voyeurism.
Reading
Various longreads I’ve loved this month
+ Alexander McQueen: Into the light, a beautiful look at the designer and his work.
+ I don’t care much for Taylor Swift but this piece on her belly button (of all things) talks about an interesting  ‘female navel taboo’ which I was not previously aware of.
+ Tanning, Training and Branding with the Bikini Bodybuilding Stars of Instagram
+ The Invisible Woman: A conversation with Bjork covers sexism, creativity, her new album.
Work
+ The end of last year was very busy with showing work and completing applications so my site has been a bit more neglected than I would have liked. Still, it does mean that there’s plenty to update over the next few months.
+Â I’ve just uploaded images from Union at Tempting Failure. Very proud of this performance and the resulting documentation.
Reading
A few favorite art-reads from the last few months.
+ The touch and the cut – an annotated dialogue with Kira O’Reilly by Patrick Duggan
+ Trial by fire – How extreme rituals forge intense social bonds.
+ Raising the Skirt by Nicola Canavan
Happy new year!
Union – in collaboration with Philip Bedwell.
We cease to be connected physically but now joined through the shared ritual and our mirror image bleeding bodies. We both carry our lives marked in and on our bodies. Scars, tattoos, injuries have inscribed us with our stories and our passions. It’s natural for us to mark our marriage in a similarly physical way, and although we are joined, legally and romantically, we continue to be separate, individual and independent.
Philip and I are returning to Tempting Failure this year, this time working together. Once again the line up is fantastic and the venue is an amazing, unique space.
For 2014 Tempting Failure are running a week of free events and workshops ahead of the nights of performance on the 7th-8th November. Well worth checking out the full programme.
FRI 7 NOV – 6.30pm
The Island, Bristol. Buy your tickets here.
“The winds were wither’d in the stagnant air, And the clouds perish’d; Darkness had no need of aid from them — She was the Universe.”
She was the universe – A new piece inspired by darkness, apocalypse and the connection between the artist and the audience is part of the National Platform at this year’s SPILL Festival.
THU 30 OCT 2014 – 3pm
FRI 31 OCT 2014 – 12pm
Police Station, Ipswich, IP1 2AW
Part of All-Seeing and Thursday & Friday Daytime Passes – Buy your pass here.
[img: Sam Gregory]
[Suspension performance at The Double R Club, photo by Sebastien Gracco de Lay]
Work
Lots to announce this month –
+ She was the universe at Spill Festival, 30th and 31st October. – Absolutely thrilled to be showing this new work in the Spill Festival National Platform.
+ Also at Spill, I’ll also be performing in The Queen’s Boudoir by Lauren Jane Williams on 1st November.
+ Union at Tempting Failure, 7 November – I’m very happy to be returning to Tempting Failure for the third year running to present a piece devised and performed with my husband, Philip Bedwell.
Reading
+Â This is what it’s like to be at war with your body – Fascinating article on Apotemnophilia, Body integrity identity disorder (BIID) and those who voluntarily amputate their limbs.
+ An open letter to everyone who has told women don’t get too muscular – I’m really interested in the messages women are given about their bodies and their behavior, especially when it comes to sport, strength and fitness. This is just a great article on how these messages reflect gender roles and expectations.
+ Instruments for operating on mutant women gallery – Dead Ringers is one of my favorite films, this gallery contains some close up shots of the beautiful bizarre surgical instruments created for the film.
Watching
+Â Ghost in the machine (Blood robot selfie) by Ted Lawson. ‘Artist, Ted Lawson, creates a life-sized self-portrait drawing, in his own blood, using a robot.’
Work
+ Plans are underway for new solo work to be shown this year, but there’s unfortunately nothing I can announce just yet.
+ Met with the super talented Lauren Jane Williams last night, whose work I’ve been a fan of for a while now, we’re going to be working together on something that I’m very excited about. More info coming soon, promise.
Watching
+ The Gaper/The Balcony by Ines von Bonhorst and Lauren Jane Williams. Just gorgeous. (Starring Ron Athey, Mouse, Empress Stah and Nina Davies)
+ Mountain by David O’Reilly – I love the short films by this guy so started ‘playing’ Mountain this week, i don’t think i’ve fully figured it out yet but its clearly an app like no other.
Reading
+ Defining a Vagenre – Categories of nudity in feminist performance – I guess I mostly work at Level 1.
+ 21 Life improvements from BJJ – Beautiful words from a female fighter, makes me very keen to get on the mats again.
Etc
+ broken glass + pearls (always) + suspension in performance + cosmetic surgery aesthetics + Nina Arsenault