“Heartstring is an experimentation with co-creating work with artist and audience— a blurring of the lines between the gallery space and stage. The work is more than myself.”

I. Atropos

 Heartstring’s real-time evolution set my body free. As I performed on the stage of Eye Drum Gallery Atlanta, only a metronome rang through the building like a beating heart. Grabbing my scissors, with bronze peacocks on the handles, I cut the bag. Still poised and reverent as a steady stream of sand washed over me and stained my body pink. 

II. Lachesis

Rising, I pushed the bag forcefully, spraying pink from end to end on the canvas beneath me. My feet danced circles through the sand embedding remnants of toes and trudge marks. By allowing Heartstring to evolve on its own, I set myself free from the confines of expectation. My twirling freed me from the anticipation of my next moves. Using improvisation during the performance taught me to trust myself. My body was coated, my fingers stained, and tears streamed down my face while the sandbag emptied its contents. I felt the weight of observation as I struggled to force the sand back into its container, fearing I would run out of my borrowed time. All of my choices lay bare for myself and voyeurs to judge. 

III. Clotho 

Sliding back into a mask of composure, I silenced the metronome and grabbed the scissors again to cut the bag free. It fell limp to the ground, its weight already expelled across the floor. With this, I left the scene as silent as I’d come. 

 I’d never considered Heartstring a traditional piece. I intended for the audience to take a piece of me when they left. However, to my surprise, this playground of mine became the same for the audience without instruction. They drew names encircled in hearts in the sand, and initials with pluses between them. I wanted to invoke an intimate environment for my performance and somehow, chanced upon the perfect intimate musical venue. I realized in time that everyone there had something to give instead. They were voyeurs of art, but a piece of it themselves. The audience as co-creators of my work and a blurred line between the world of stages and galleries unbeknownst to me, was always my intention.

Materials: Canvas, textiles, rope, steel, sand, paint pigment, and found objects.

Heartstring was shown as a performance art piece accompanying the works of 16 other local Atlanta artists. The Mokita Spring Exhibition was co-curated by myself and Abigail Cook, a Georgia State contemporary working in painting, sculpture, and rule of law at the Georgia Carter Center. Mokita was curated in partnership with Eyedrum Gallery Atlanta to create opportunities for students and up and coming artists in the Atlanta community to showcase their work and build meaningful connections with artists and galleries in the backyards.

The word “Mokita” comes from Papua New Guinea translating to unspoken truth, highlighting the taboo concepts young artists feel compelled to avoid scrutiny from whistleblowing. Mokita created an atmosphere of camaraderie and intimacy that accessible to all.

Exhibiting artists include: Abigail Cook, Ashley Lopez, Avery Apling, Cameron White, Chiquita Farley, James Blackmore, Tsaria McMahon, John Mack, Juliete Butler, Michelle Eberhard, Nikolai Suszynski, Nina Gonzalez-Rubio, Sam Rariden, Sydney Jones, Lilly Nail, and Isa Call Gomez