Within my performance work, I focus on directing an audience’s attention and utilizing that to fill in parts of my performance. Through guiding their reactions, or interacting with them as part of my work, I invite them into my work as not only witnesses but as participants of varying degrees. I consider my work most successful when I receive the response and reaction I try to direct towards, without forcing or stating but suggesting in the direction I want my work perceived.
When I bring people into my work, I try to avoid forcing them or intimidating them. I prefer engagement is natural, and that there is space for the audience to have their own reaction and ability to test the limits of the space in which they find themself. I reverse this when creating work of a more personal nature that involves presentation rather than interaction. There, I direct attention onto myself, and I stage it to best frame how I wish for my perspective on the work to be perceived- the audience is invited to my perspective as witnesses, as opposed to their perspectives informing what my work is. I still hold care as to not overwhelm, unless that is the intent of the piece, but not as shock value, but rather as an unadulterated representation that conveys a particular theme or mood. Most of my work has been based around exploring moods and themes of my life, if not synthesizing new ones.