Object of Power, Reclamation

As part of my healing process, I’ve grappled with my anger toward my perpetrator. What separates me from him? Is it just a phallus? I’ve tried to reclaim that power. In a private performance, I used a large syringe and paper pulp to reenact ejaculation. Strangely enough, it was therapeutic. The paper dried into textures that surprised me—delicate, lace-like formations.

Theire resemblance to lace, a material traditionally associated with women’s handiwork, paired with the cloud shapes they took acted as the elements I needed to shape a gendered yet ambiguous dreamscape. The act of ejaculation is redacted here—a secret joke, a private moment of levity. I see it as a nod to the way Ozarkers often cope with stereotypes: through humor, by poking fun, even if only for our own satisfaction.

Photo Left By Ryan Frederick, College of Arts and Letters, MSU

Photos Below by Daniel Trego