ELEANOR SHIRLEY

Drawing inspiration from a dream she had after an intense period of being unable to make work: of smashing a glass piece she had previously made. The dream was extremely cathartic. Destroying as a process of making became central to the project, as well as exploring endurance and pain as performance art.

The drive is not centred on hurting the body but rather negotiating complex emotions in an intimate and controlled situation. Thus documentation of these painful actions serves as a direct representation for reclaiming agency and governance over oneself. The movement of the body and the glass collapses time through repetitive actions as the camera bears witness, challenging the ephemeral nature of performance. The conjunction of the video and the glass creates a liminal space, of what was and what will be; the act of destruction and the potential for enduring pain.

Title of Work: You Must Destroy What You Know

https://screlart.wordpress.com
eleanorshirley13@icloud.com