The Bridal and Bird’s Nest Wigs

These two pieces were part of The Dressing Table installation.  While wigs are intended to alter an identity, each of these constructed wigs are visual stories of my life at two very different points in time.  The Bridal Wig represents a single moment, the instant of feeling of love, being cherished, and a spectacle all at the same time.  The veil of braids and clicking cowrie shells hides a beaming and radiant bride. Materials for this piece include:  Synthetic and human hair, cowrie shells, thread, ribbon, beads, mannequin head, and crystal.

I’ve included am image of The Bridal Wig being modeled during a performance.

The Bird’s Nest Wig represents a span of 2 years of my life after I’d returned to college in my late 20′s.  Now with both a career and a husband, I felt matronly at times, compulsive at others, but surprisingly resilient.  There are two stuffed furry creatures with red beaded eyes inhabiting the hollow nest, while the hair is gathered and secured into a low side pony tail by embellished clasp of chicken feet and feathers.  The majority of the nest was constructed by knotting the twigs into the hair, and materials include:  Synthetic hair, sticks, thread, fur, foam, squirrel tail, feathers, chicken feet, mannequin head, and black rice.

Price upon request.

Makeup Skin

With this work I wanted to dissect the material of makeup.  Makeup as residue, or a removable skin.  I liked the idea of leaving a trace of where I’d been in my apartment, staring out a window.

Materials include:  Makeup, olive oil, and plastic.  Postcards $1 and 8×10 prints $20.

Burlesque Topsy goes natural.

I lived right off the lake for a few years, and thought it was a very seductive place.  Who doesn’t love running their hands through all those peebles?  Or hearing the little waves as they meet the shore?  This series of photos was a way to objectify that feeling and document it.

Materials for the performance include:  Topsy, Fargo Beach, porcelain slip, and wire.  The 8×10 matted prints are $20 and the pasty sets start off at $45.