Art Installation / Things They Carry
"Things They Carry"
a live performance + artist collaboration
What a wonderful experience! This day was filled with incredible energy and love. Thank you to each and every viewer who came to experience this installation with Bri and I. (To read more about the event and our statement, please click here)
The Process
Working together on such a large project was eye-opening and challenging. Though Bri and I both focus on the human form in our work; our techniques, color palettes and styles are completely different. We were able to communicate and hash out ideas in order to narrow our thoughts into one plan and statement. To me, there's such victory in that. Being able to work through the creative process with another is truly special and I'm grateful to have had this experience with such a talented friend. To start, we knew we wanted to create large pieces on canvas as a backdrop, where we would be painting the models 'into' the composition. This was the most challenging part of the entire project-- given our opposite styles. We each started on one canvas and began switching back and forth with our techniques, agreeing on a color palette to remain consistent. I would walk to "Bri's" canvas and drag + scrape my squeegee through the paint, and she would stroll to "mine" with her palette knives and create a beautiful textured form. It was a give and take. Learning where to stop and start; where we each felt just enough discomfort in the others' realm.
Both of these canvases were built and stretched by us as well. There's always something to be said for creating the canvas with your own hands. It makes you feel very grounded and in tune with the project.
see more of our teamwork in the video below
For the event itself, we held online castings for 'models' (meaning any and all who would be willing) on numerous online platforms. We were very fortunate to have five incredibly powerful + body positive individuals who were willing to stand nude in the public of downtown Charleston. As we came to know each of them, it was really beautiful to hear their own unique reasonings for participating in the event. It solidified our statement; that no matter who we are-- we all have stories. Thank you to Ryan, Alex, Morgan, Ashley and Jessi.
None of this would have been possible without the incredibly generous talents from:
Mary Beth Thomas- Photography
Petaloso- Floral Arrangements + Accessories
Artist & Craftsman- Canvas + Stretcher Bars
and The Grand Bohemian Gallery for hosting us
(keep scrolling for photos of the event as well as continued thoughts)
If you've been following our process/have read our statement-- you know we chose to focus on the basics of the human condition. The idea that we all have experiences, layers- that formulate who we are.
How can we use this basic understanding to be more patient, more caring, more genuine with one another? Less judgment, less bitterness. More healing.
