Whimsy
When I was little I often felt very alone and afraid. After I began therapy a handful of years ago, my therapist suggested that I commune with Little Wendi and give her everything I wish I had gotten when I was young. Whimsy is the result. Whimsy will push Little Wendi on the swings, arrange her stuffed animals around the table and help serve them tea, play Candyland all day long without complaint, and help her be brave when she needs it.
Components
Plastic baby arms, acrylic paint, yarn, fascinator hat base, buttons, socks, white gloves, mesh shirt, lace dress, 13 t-shirts of various colors from Goodwill, 1 striped Goodwill sweater, faux fur.
Location
Reykjavik, Iceland
2017
The High Priestess
The Oracle
The Oracle is an activist’s version of a “fortune-telling” performance, using divination methods inspired by my layered cultural heritage and experience as a ritualist. I created the character in 2017 in response to Portland, Oregon’s increase in confused, disenfranchised, and unfocused self-identified liberals. The guidance The Oracle provided at that time was designed to kick people into gear and get them out of their armchairs and plugged into local channels for activism, volunteerism, and edification. Since then, The Oracle has continued to dispense guidance pertinent to social justice and navigating life during times of uncertainty and unrest. These days, in response to the shifting needs of the community, The Oracle provides guidance on matters of sustaining hope and love, longevity in the movement, solastalgia, and decolonized self-care.
The Oracle consults without speaking. I handcrafted all of their attire and accoutrements.
Portland, OR
2017 - 2020
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (2017)
Mississippi Studios (2017)
Art & Activism at Village Ballroom (2019)
MultiPop! at Artifact (2019)
Centennial Park School (2019)
Redux - David Bowie edition (2020)
Components
1 Tapestry woven with seven feelings. These feelings can represent the seeker’s current state of mind, a state of mind that is the seeker’s goal, or a combination of the two.
3 small Bones, used to choose up to three feelings on the tapestry.
14 Archetype Cards which depict a variety of people currently active in political, environmental, indigenous, or social justice movements, each representing a particular type of person (archetype) needed in the resistance. Each card was drawn by hand and finished digitally, with a background that reflects the featured person's roots or area of expertise, and each card back carries an explanation of the traits that exemplify the type of person featured, as well as a blurb about that person. All of the people featured are either women, people of color, indigenous, queer, or a combination thereof.
42 bamboo sticks, 7 sets numbered one through six.
Once the Seeker has indicated their feelings, The Oracle picks up the sticks that correspond with what has been chosen, places them in a container, and shakes them. When one stick falls out, The Oracle reads the stick and retrieves the Guidance Scroll that corresponds to the feeling and the number on the stick. If multiples fall out, The Oracle will retrieve them, put them back in the container, and shake again. The Oracle will shake 5 times, and if more than one scroll continues to fall, the Seeker will receive all of the indicated scrolls. This has happened, but rarely, and occurs when the Seeker has a complicated question or extremely intense or conflicted emotions.
42 Guidance Scrolls written with the modern-day seeker in mind. Most scrolls contain a quote corresponding to the emotion of the seeker. Some direct the seeker to action, some to reflection, and some are crafted to reduce anxiety. Each time The Oracle makes an appearance, older and less relevant scrolls are rotated out and replaced with timely new scrolls based on current events, venue, and audience. Response to the scrolls has been 100% positive, and many seekers are surprised and even a bit unnerved by the accuracy and relevancy of the guidance they’ve been given.
The Great Pretender
