Valentine’s Dismay: I Have So Much to Give

Solo Show and Performance in WSU’s Aux Lox Gallery, 2023.

This installation was home to a one-time performance piece acted out by the character Amelie Lune in reaction to the dismal feeling of having no one to love on Valentine’s Day. The performance fixated on a male mannequin, a stand-in for a partner that had not become real. She danced around him, attempting to entice, then picked up a set of vessels attached to a yoke which she affixed to her shoulders. Climbing up above him, she showered him with pink paint, the symbol for all the virtue and assets that she was willing to forfeit; but alas she climbed down for an unreciprocated embrace, leaving him dripping in her wasted effort.

The gallery served as evidence of the performance, the paint-drenched mannequin standing amidst the warm lights and set dressing composed of Amelie’s explorations of femininity. The video piece was then projected onto two plaster casts, giving context to the space for viewers and new depth to the performance.