Your Slip is Showing
Your Slip is Showing (2016-ongoing) contains still and moving images. I began this series with the words. First, the word "slips" which I wear and collect. The word "permission" quickly followed. This combination of words and images gave me the freedom to acknowledge and experiment with the slips as symbols. As I began to work with the fabrics, I began to imagine new narratives for them. At one point I even named them, conjuring female heroes like Nellie Bly and Emily Dickinson. And then, the slips led me deeper, to a dark childhood memory. Nighttime. Listening to my parents arguing. Hearing my mother fall. Her arm broken. The story I was given was that she had simply tripped on her slip. There was nothing simple about this story. Unfortunately, it's been told before, many times.
In March 2021, the image She Didn't Trip-i was offered in conjunction with a multimedia projection called Art After Dark, sponsored by J. McLaughlin store, Boca Grande, Florida. Proceeds from print sales benefited C.A.R.E.FL,the Center for Abuse and Rape Emergencies, Victim Services Center in Charlotte County Florida.
I created the experimental short Jewel Tones (HD video, 4:04 min, 2021) to be shown in conjunction with the Art After Dark event. The film features Lee County, Florida residents Alyssa Brocker, Angie Brocker, Amanda Dinger, Brianna John, and Makala Macdonald.
Since 2018 proceeds from sales of She Didn't Trip-i have been donated to a non-profit agency dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls. The Chadwick Residence has been selected as the recipient for 2024.
Chadwick Residence is a Syracuse, NY-based nonprofit that provides supportive housing and supportive services for women and women with children experiencing homelessness.