AJWSTARR
recents and pasts
Video | Featured
May 18, 2013
Why Not?
Many have known me to be careful and considerate as I move through my day; in particular what I do with waste. Making art out of high density polyurethane shopping and dry cleaning bags has added to that reputation. Right now, I’m done with that. Done. After a long hard day of grad school I sat in my empty-ish studio – tired and a little frustrated at a few things that don’t need to be mentioned here. There sat a roll of white butcher paper. The roll of paper was torn crumpled, wrinkled, punched and installed from one of the walls in the studio to the floor and piled up. The intention had nothing to do with it looking like a waterfall but, I’ll admit, it kinda did. Few days later visiting artist John Aesp came and chose that work for the UTA Summer MFA Exhibition…but bigger. Ok, you want bigger? Somewhat like the action taken in my studio that day the action of tearing up and wrinkling the paper was exhilarating and exhausting. So there.
the action: https://vimeo.com/66468857
January 5, 2013
that day
that day she wore them
with the click clack, tip tap on the tile floor
her hair, Revlon = luminous blue black,
pony tailed in an orange scrunchie
pink and white clip bow on right side, flower in the middle
gold dangle earrings flashy in the bright sun
French manicure, always well kept
tiny flower stickers adhered to pinkies and index
pedi-flesh bulging through straps- puffy, a sort of pinkish blue hue
tip tap, click clack,
shuffle…ball change
her mother later spoke of her condescendingly
“why she wore the black lace blouse, showing her wrinkly
pasty-white skin, for the life of me, don’t understand –
who in their right mind would dress like that in front of everyone!”
soon after those words left the grey haired woman’s mouth we learned
these were familiar words to her ear
heart
and
mind
ever since…
though I expect to never know what lead her mother to speak so cruelly to her the desire to have it all explained weighs heavy in me
I think it will give me a clue about him
yes, him…
who also went…
January 2, 2013
the ring, the shoes
and then again there is the ring
it’s as if
dream came true
knock at door, press button, right foot forward
she said knowing became weighted
all the while
chance taking
reality dawns
was there any breath, in the end…
what did she say … how did she look…
was she wearing them….
dressed in lace and purple bows this time nails glittery and gold
never time
evermore-escape
sometimes laughter reverberating around the silence
she cackled
it echoed through the spaces
below
beneath
backwards and forwards
at times above
but we never knew why
why
…she wore those shoes
the creases in her face deep and long
her shoes as if for foot bound
why
…Hannah Montana?
empty answers – it will always be this
as the ring gains momentum…
wear shoes
November 12, 2012
voice
Deconstructing and reconstructing ready-made materials along with the absurdity of placing them out of context, this work is a tongue in cheek examination of the voice. My hope is to challenge the way in which we often believe whatever we are told.
