Annie Cunningham

"What is the female genitalia called?" I asked numerous individuals. Some said "Vagina", others said "Which part?" I find it monumentally disturbing that a pinnacle portion of anatomy is generally unnamed; unaddressed and without mean.

By sewing myself completely into cotton fabric, I restricted my range of sight and motion. What begins as a playful, energetic expression of life, I literally throw myself to the ground and begin to tumble throughout fields and woods. As my tumbling journey progresses, I become more exhausted and begin to struggle to maintain stamina upon a designated path. Following the video from start to finish, the viewer may watch how my buoyancy is challenged and inflicted upon as I attempt to maintain that lightness of character, struggle to hold onto that playful nature as exhaustion sets in, and then the desperation that erupts as the fight comes to a close.

One of the most serious issues with invasive plant species today is it's ability to swiftly multiply and choke out it's preexisting surroundings. By reading through Washington State's governmental regulations on invasive species, I hoped to mimic this overwhelming side of nature by creating multiple layers of the regulations. As the performance progresses, the mesh of voices elevates to an inaudible drone which obliterates the original spoken text. Just as the increase of video layers conceals it's original purpose, invasive species conceals it's original environment.

Once the creation of my Stone Garment had been completed, I returned to the river from which I had collected the river rocks. While wearing the garment, I explored how the piece moved upon my form, the sounds the clinking stones made as I moved, and how the current of the river affected my body within the garment. As I ventured deeper into the freezing water, I wanted to see how deep I was willing to go and how long I could endure the frigid temperature.