Falling Woman

"Falling Woman" is a looped video depicting a woman trapped in a never-ending fall. The fall represents an interest in contrived depictions of unconsciousness, dreams of falling interpreted as a loss of control, or the fear and humiliation that comes in dreams of being naked. The wind from the fall forces the protagonist's dress over her head, which simultaneously conceals her identity and exposes her naked body, acting as a natural yet exploitative flirtation with the camera. Autonomy and control clash for the subject has not jumped nor has she been pushed, and she will never land. The film loops, therefore she is always in the midst of a continuous fall. The meeting of these moments manifest themselves in an endless sky where we witness the woman frustrated in her attempt to connect with the sublime. The piece works in specific reference to cultural and art historical events and works, such as Yves Klein's photomontage farce "Leap into the Void" which depicts a staged event of the artist leaping (or perhaps flying) off the edge of a building, or the loss of control in the humble gestures of Bas Jan Ader's falling pieces. It conjures up references to Marilyn Monroe's dress in the "Seven Year Itch" and paparazzi photo's taken up the skirts of young stars such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, as they exited their cars. Primarily the piece addresses the influence feminist discourse has on my practice and positioning. In a reference to second wave feminist artist, Ana Mendieta, known for her site-specific installations and performances, for example her signature "Sileuta" series, she imposed her body onto the environment with impressions of her contours, commenting on the presence and absence of the artist in her gendered role. The series foreshadowed her untimely and suspicious death as she fell from a 34th storey window in New York. In "Falling Woman" the body continues to be a battleground of desire and exploitation, the implication and ownership of the other's gaze makes subjectivity impossible to reach.