Artist Statement
In this performance I wanted to communicate my experience with domestic violence. I tried to go in a different direction with this and base the performance around cooking. I chose baking because its especially seen as something that women are responsible for. In the first performance I chose ingredients of cake to reference women being objectified and the slang terms used to describe women (cake, pound cake) and so I carried that over to this one and baked strawberry cupcakes from scratch with a recipe from a book.
The eggshells on the ground were to literally translate the saying "walking on eggshells". Its a feeling that is often used to describe what its like to be in a toxic or abusive relationship.
The knives suspended from the ceiling were used to represent the casual, household nature of domestic violence. There especially important to me because of my personal experience with them.
The house dress or night gown I wore was my great grandmothers. I chose it because of its old fashioned and modest nature. I know in my experience I was restricted from wearing certain clothing, especially short dresses, low cut tops or even heels. I believe that mindset is incredibly out-dated but it is still a present day issue that many people believe is typical behavior in relationships. I remember asking friends and relatives about it and it was often dismissed or made out to be a "pick your battles" type of situation.
The music I chose was Food and Creative Love by Rusted Root. The lyrics were relevant to this topic because they are about violence, food, and love.
All of these elements were used to create the feeling of trying to complete a simple task, for example baking cupcakes while being hindered by a frumpy nightgown, bare feet on eggshells, and kitchen knives haunting you. I felt when I was in a violent relationship trying to complete simple tasks like homework, cooking a meal, going to work, or often sleeping, were incredibly difficult. The reason I cleaned everything up (but didn't show the cleaning up or film it) and took the cupcakes out of the oven when they were already frosted and decorated is because the situation is so embarrassing and humiliating that I felt the need to cover it up, disguise it, clean it up, and carry on with my responsibilities silently.
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