Drips, A Community of Non-Normative Beings, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, England, 2011

plastic, paint, copper tubing, water, electrical components ultraviolet globes

In 2010 I submitted a piece called “Monstrous Birth,” which is documented elsewhere on this site, to the Open Show at Surface Gallery in Nottingham, England. The Open Show was a contest, with the first place prize being a solo show at Surface Gallery the following year, and I was fortunate enough to win. Getting to do the exhibition at Surface Gallery was one of the most fun, exciting opportunities of my life. Surface Gallery is an arts collective, still thriving today: https://www.surfacegallery.org/. Jerry and I went to Nottingham for a week to install the show and be there for the opening reception. We made friends with artists with whom I remain friends to this day.

About the piece “Drips” pictured above; 2010 and 2011 were extremely difficult years for my family. Among other really difficult revelations, I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and had bilateral mastectomies. The process of diagnosis and treatment was painful, demoralizing and dehumanizing. “Drips” was my attempt to work through my feelings of grief and shame. I know the shame part isn’t reasonable; all I can say is the experience caused me to feel it somehow was and I still feel that way. Drips takes a body part that should be private and mine only to display or not as I choose and puts it on display on a public street. It felt apt.