"Images, Reflections and Projections" 1980 - Hunter Gallery
This work reflects the artist’s initiation into the life of the artist through her experiences at a catholic boarding school in Scranton, PA.
The gallery is transformed into a shrine like interior with a cardboard gothic arch embedded into the doorway subliminally implying entrance to a sacred place.
Empty nuns' habits (Immaculate Heart of Mary) hang in place of the congregation. The habits are made out of fiberglass sheets and cloth. Each habit is stamped “Warning this habit contains an irritant".
The altarpiece (self-portrait of the back of my head with a braid hanging down by back) is the centerpiece while of this installation. An adult braid of the artist lies on the table next to two braids of the artist as a child while a pair of scissors rests next to the hair. The hair of children lies on the floor. Along one wall a series of three sets of three self portraits Polaroid photographs of the artist as nun dressed and undressed displaying “The Stations of the Cross”.
Along a fence posts surrounding two walls another element contains hundreds of self-portraits taken in a photo-booth and transformed copies of those self portraits of the artist as woman, artist, goddess, mother, nun, witch, warrior, magician, etc. Fluorescent lighting behind the fence post illuminates the images and text.
A crudely constructed “donation box” hangs next to the entrance.
note - Two other works that relate to this piece are entitled "Indivisible"
A store-front installation with image and text.
This piece was re-constructed for an exhibition at _______.