This project has been developing for several years since my introduction to the book Arte Agora: Art Made, Sold, or Placed in a Public Way, by Dan X. O’Neil. Early in the pandemic, I began walking many miles each day, observing and documenting the conversations of the walls of the streets of Chicago, which are ever-changing organisms that seem to go unnoticed by the majority of the public. I soon decided that I wanted to be part of this public art conversation, and so my walking artist practice began.
Through my work, I can be a part of the fabric of the walls and buildings all around you while hiding in plain sight. I am acutely aware of the space I take up, or don’t take up, and even apologize for taking up, and am appalled to know how many other women do the same. I think about the constant marginalization and objectification of women and their bodies, and how I can be truly seen beyond my appearance alone. How can I possibly alter one’s perception of what a woman and even an artist “should'' look like? On social media, how can this work challenge the definitions of visibility? Ultimately, I want my work to exemplify both hearing and speaking, and I hope it encourages viewers to look, listen, and to use their own voices in this on-going conversation.
See more of my work in the latest book by Dan X. O’Neil and Shawn-Laree O’Neil, Spots, Forms & Methods in Arte Agora: The Where, What, and How of a Modern Art Movement.