In ancient France, Gargoyles were symbols of guardianship / security of the structure it was placed on. They were said to protect against any unwanted energy and symbolize the ideology of religious protection. They were also used as water duct to prevent any build ups during heavy rain, truly showcasing the strength and protection one will find in religious buildings. I took this idea and recorded myself under water to showcase the amount of pressure I had at the time. Being submerged in water highlighted the need to implement the duties of a gargoyle, but once I have been seen, my attention then becomes playful, shifted, and more fluid vs lifeless. I then chose to project this onto a two plane building to implement the idea of a gargoyle on a structure that it is protecting. My figure shift between both planes to indicate the practice of breaking free but still being confined to the structure I was built on. In high sight; I was protecting a place that gave me a voice. The burden of protecting something in me that I thought was viewed ‘“as is” was a facade, and what was needed is attention. This piece is a perfect reflection of the pressure that comes when we are expected to be what was designed for us, but when my sight passed the expectation of my assigned burden, I was then able to be my truest self. The video then ends in a loop to showcase the consistent battle of a cycle but the refusal to break free when you are given the opportunity.

Each dance represents my internal struggle of being attached to an object that is assumed to be the focus, however, taking the wand away, you will be able to see the struggle of my body screaming its truth. This is a dance of the fight between the label of a phallic object and my natural femininity .

I discovered Flow arts a few years after college and was instantly connected to this medium. Known as a Leviwand, I quickly explored the limits of my body with her relation to this prop and slowly discovered why I felt so connected with it. The way I was able to naturally move reflected my inner femininity, where as, the wand itself reflected a phallic object. The goal of the performance is to formulate a communication between my body and the prop to create a contrast between fluidity and permanence. The wand is only able to float by the movement of the string that is attached to my wrist. The faster I am able to wrap the string on my body creates the illusion of levitation. This idea grew into a concept the represented the illusion of my assigned gender. The consistent battle of “keeping an object afloat” ruminated this concept and perfectly represented the beginning of my self acceptance. I did not know when I first started flowing, but the deeper I allowed this object connect with me, the further I was able to see what my body has been saying all this time.

Click on the link below to see my tiktok implementation / practices / flow.