New Fragility 2020

cotton, polyester, elastic

“Wearing a mask still makes me nervous. I’m under doctor’s orders to only go out in public with one on. I rarely go out, but when I do, it’s pretty anxiety inducing. I sat in the car outside the supermarket today for ten minutes, taking deep breaths and psyching myself up to put a mask and head on in, just to grab three things. I usually don’t mind standing out. A partially shaved head and bright pink hair is cool with me. We express so much about ourselves by our choices of external adornment. We choose what to reveal and what to conceal about ourselves. Still, having to wear a mask is a marker of difference, when most people out and about seem to have reverted back to pre-COVID ways. Part of living with a chronic illness is trying to pass for well on those rough days in certain settings. The mask feels like a very public symbol of my health vulnerabilities. I feel very exposed. This version is a glamorous absurdity – clearly not practical nor hygienic. Making it has helped me to think about how to reclaim some of my unique personal expression, and choice, when it comes to claiming space in public.” MV, June 2020

Wok shown in About Face, Artisan, Bowen Hills QLD, 10 July – 22 August 2020, and online

Online Exhibition : www.aboutfaceartisan.org

About the exhibition: https://artisan.org.au/blogs/prior-exhibitions/aboutface