The Fall

The Fall is a playful yet subversive installation that toys with what it means to be a monument and the false hopes of the idealized body while reclaiming space for women of all beauty. The idea of sculptures and actions existing for a finite amount of time is compelling to me, and "The Fall" explores this through the performative nature of the installation. While working at Franconia, I realized early on that people wanted to get involved in the making of my installations, so I encouraged visitors to sit, climb, and pose with the statuesque forms, even rolling them around, placing themselves on view. While the sculptures harken back to Greek and Roman statuary or neoclassical Doric columns, the materials used to carve "The Fall" are far more industrial and contemporary in origin. The materials are ersatz meant to undermine the heroic truths emblemized by antiquity. Rather than depicting idealized male or female figures in athletic contortions, my figures are modeled after myself, my friends, and other artists. The performers for this event were the young women working at the park that summer as staff and interns. This photo documents the final performance, a celebration of female strength and of all women who defied gender norms for generations to make our work possible.