A large box covered in canvas sits in the corner of a gallery space. The opening, which faces the camera, exposes the interior of the box. Inside is a television, assorted blankets, a three tiered cart on wheels, and a single lit lamp. Drawing marks are visible on one side of the box’s interior.
The Tomb of the Artist (2015)
8 x 5 x 4 ft. canvas & wood
Influenced by Tracey Emin’s “Exorcism of the Last Painting I Ever Made” (1996), this installation / 24 hr. performance is an experiment of the artist’s productivity in isolation. Prior to starting medication, I was curious to explore the thoughts, visions, and hallucinations I experience daily without the influence of technology or media. The anticipated exposure of one’s identity and vulnerability online (something I still struggle with today) triggered a need for a temporary relocation of expression. Looking back on this work (and the 20 year-old existentialist commentary haha!), a relationship between space, safety, and documentation becomes apparent. The one hour video below compiles clips from the 24 hr. performance of living and working inside the tomb overnight.
(the television was later installed for the 24 hr. video documentation)
- KO, 12-16-20
