The Making of a Good Woman by Claire Gallucci

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

This is my final performance art piece from my Site and Space class I took in the Fall 2021 Semester. It is Entitled „The Making of a Good Woman.“

Artist Reflective Statement:

I have expressed on a multitude of occasions that I often use my artistic voice to most effectively articulate my political opinion. I chose to reincarnate the personal political project and do a performance honoring the injustices and violence women endure in their everyday lives. Truthfully, I was in an incredibly dark place when I fabricated this idea, from dark places come dark concepts. “The Making of a Good Woman.” Consisted of me standing upon a pedestal in the center of our studio space in the spotlights. By the door sat a small table upon which was a small cushion full of pins with a pink sticky note instructing to “pick your poison.” The performance entails having each individual come in one at a time and they see me standing upon the pedestal in an all white outfit- upon this outfit would be written in black lettering in a variety of places different negative experiences women endure in their day to day lives. “Take away my rights here,” “Push beyond my boundaries here,” “Gaslight me here,” “Invalidate me here,” “Hit me here,” “Condescend to me here.” Behind each of these instructive phrases was a small pocket containing a pouch of fake blood. A participant picks their choice pin by the door and chooses which phrase they will stick their pin into, whichever phrase resonates the most with them. Once the pin punctures the bag blood leaks out ruining the pristine white clothing. Then upon leaving they will discover another pink sticky note on the doorknob stating “you will be back.” For a great deal of people it is easy to take from women, to harm them, and be unfair to them because one may never truly see the harm they’ve done; not when it’s emotional, not when the turmoil they create will only ever be in the woman’s mind disturbing her peace. However, it’s far more difficult to ignore when it’s splayed right out in front of you using something as graphic as „blood“ to physically show the emotional detriment one’s actions created. Using fake blood also is a subtle nod to violence against women and is an aspect of this piece that shows my inspiration, the work of Tania Brugera and Ana Mendieta, most prevalently. I found it quite important to ensure that my clothing was white. White shows the innocence of the women who endure such injustice while also acting as a second skin. The color white, especially on a plus size body, leaves little to the imagination and simulates genuine harm most effectively. It provides a strong contrast of the rich red of the fake blood against the white clothing, the kind of contrast needed to show true emotional scarring.
This piece activates a few central principles and elements of design. One of the most potent was movement. This piece encourages thorough and well thought out movement of it’s audience members. Entering the room one at a time, choosing a pin and then having to travel the considerable distance between the pin cushion and me, then having to walk around me to make an educated choice as to where one should stick their pin, stepping up on the platform with me then finally making that almost shameful walk out of the scene of the performance. Working in tandem with movement is line. Line of sight working with line of travel to create a dynamic traffic pattern when entering the room and when leaving it-line was an unexpected but intricate element of this piece. Finally color was an integral aspect of this piece. The red soaking the white clothing and the brash nature of the black marked in words disrupting the pristine white clothing.
Ultimately, with this piece I hope to shock and repulse. I expect a visceral reaction from it’s audience and acknowledge how difficult it will be for some to participate in something as radical as this. “The Making of a Good Woman” is meant to challenge one’s beliefs and induce a great deal of self reflection.