Self-Reflections
A Language for Harnessing Sexual Energy
2020 - Present
Self-Reflections is the ongoing work of Abigail with the aim to harness sexual self-awareness. Easy is it to slip into the unconscious and the physical in moments of pleasure. More difficult is it to control and guide the body's reaction.
In this project, she utilizes herself as the subject. With touch as the focus of stimulation, there is no assistance from accessories or other humans. A performance and dance visually unfold, interlacing action, reaction, and subsequent reflection of the activity. The instinct to satisfy opposes the control necessary to focus energy and guide inner contemplation. Conflict enhances the experience, creating tension in order to tap into the roots of what brings pleasure.
Tapping into feminine expression, the body of work draws from the history of self-representation. Influences like Meryl Meister and Sally Mann's work capture moments that are sentimental and intimate, a look into their private worlds. While modern works like "Fearless Flowers" by Marcin Jozeicka and "Double" by Rita Lino use the artist's body as vehicle to explore personas often at odds with each other. They celebrate the nature of personal expression.
Similar to the work in the Reflections series, the collection aims to show the natural act of being sexual. The work offers a view into spaces rarely accessible to the public where sensuality occurs, traveling internationally to capture the action of seeing oneself and being seen.
