Obsession
Materials: latex, sound, tweezers, human body
In my work, altered objects, two-dimensional media, installation and performance serve to stand as an extension of "self" and "psyche". This series of video performances serve as my examination of the body as object, reflection of society and layer of the internal self. Obsession, 2012 uses repetition of movement and action and was also repetitively performed during my exploration of dermatillomania.
Though this work borders on the horrific (it feels unbelievable and visceral as sound reverberates while the latex skin is picked off the body), so do the experiences of those who live with dermatillomania. In this specific video, which was my eighth performance, I cover myself with latex, pick and rip it off with tweezers until it is gone. The physical pain that I put myself through in this performance can be seen as masochistic; however, I too became obsessed with this ritualistic, habitual cleansing. The sound is over-edited in order to make a more uncomfortable scene for my viewers.