I am Liquified, 60''x72'', 2026
Nylon iridiscent organza, blue satin
Artist Statement
Not every art piece that serves as an extension of an action has to have a literal function. That is the idea I wanted to expand from Katharina Schmidt’s A Different World, on Rebecca Horn’s artistic vision, “we encounter, for the first time, Horn's peculiar, poetic form, in which factual reporting turns into a transcendent depiction of magical events” (Schmidt 70). Horn’s comes up with art performances that rely on body extensions whose function is as a visual poem, making her works come to life with movement. An example that I really liked from one of Horn’s works was when the head pencil attachment, which becomes activated when she uses it to draw. Her piece has two primary functions: The literal function of drawing and a metaphor of the artist's main tool being their thoughts. As a poet myself, I like to find ways to experiment and expand the boundaries of what poetic forms can be. In my art piece, I rely on a simple body extension whose true value and meaning are activated with movement. There’s also a whole storytelling aspect to it, which Horn herself also explores in her works, especially through her art films.
I decided to be even more metaphorical in my own work, but still have multiple functions. The first function of my piece is to tell the viewer the transformation of my being, going from its natural solid state to a liquified form. My piece has a communicative and symbolic function rather than being an art piece that can grab objects, which is more practical, as it is a visual storytelling aspect to it. The fact that the garment extension has two layers of fabric, the blue satin underneath to make my solid self disappear, and the monochrome organza on top to give it more of an illusion of liquid and lightness from its transparency. This top layer is also very reflective, making the fluid motion more exaggerated. All this serves as the imagery happening in my piece.
The other function of my piece relies more on the performance part. I start my performance crouching down and hiding the blue fabric. Dressing up in black, along with this pose, signifies the density and heaviness of having a solid form, as well as the mental rigidity of being stuck in a restricted, even controlling state. My original idea was to untie the piece of fabric from the ribbons, but while experimenting with the fabric, I realized that rolling the material doesn’t allow it to fully expand. I decided to throw the fabric instead. I think that this is a stronger visual representation, as I finally “let go” of a rigid state of mind. I like that the explosiveness of the movement can also represent that having a solid form can be restricting, but when you let go, you “lift off” that weight. The final state is completely becoming liquified, as I cover myself entirely with the blue fabric and “melt” down on the floor to embrace the final state.
Finally, I decided to add a sound layer to my piece; I played a video of rain falling on rain drums. I made this decision as one of my previous drafts had a sound component to it, inspired by Nick Cave’s sound suits. Although the sounds are not made by the movement of the fabric, it is part of the ambience. I think that it enhances the feeling of liquidity, similarly to why background music in film is added. I think it also builds a component of harmony to it, since the performance has a dance feel to it. I also liked the idea of the rain making music, since rain is not composed per se, or has a strategic aim as a musician, but it freely makes notes as it falls on the instruments. This effect adds to the “letting go” aspect of my metaphor.
I am proud of this art piece as, in my opinion, encaptures my vision perfectly. I think the layering of two different fabrics that reflect shine in different degrees really adds to the illusion of water and how water reflects light. Working on the performance part also added to the metaphor that I was going for. Although the extension part of the piece didn’t have a strong visual to it, it really came alive as an addition to me through the performance. Covering myself with the fabric completed the integration, as I “became one” with the fabric. It can be challenging to explore a less structured extension, as connecting the piece with wires, wood, or tape adds to the “joining” aspect of wearable art, but I learned that when it comes to unstable extensions, it really is about the performance, and adding movement, dance components, or simply playing with the fabric adds a deeper relationship with the wearable piece.
I am liquified is a physical manifestation and representation of the mental state and clarity of letting go. Going with the flow to adapt and mold like water means to stop the rigidity of a past way of thinking and letting go of being one solid form. Becoming a person who is open to change and to expand their consciousness is the only way to move forward. These are the themes that I hope to inspire the audience with my artwork. This mindset is one that I have positive feelings towards and hope to embrace more often. I hope my audience would also become fluid in their thinking and be open to embracing the reflection of their own meaning on it. Whether they think my piece is about becoming more mature, soulful, empathetic, or simply growing as a person, we can all experience through my visual poem, the state of being fluid together.
Work Cited:
Armin Zweite, et al. Rebecca Horn. 2006.
