Study Statement

Title

Dignities – performing and selling the self to examine freedom and form.

Aims and Objectives

Dignities is about commodification, work, the body, performance of the self, money, exploitation, freedom, the intersections of these things and the art forms that sit alongside them. I am approaching the project from a personal and highly subjective point of view; it is directly inspired by my own experiences and inner life. Here is a link to a previous blog post containing some stream of consciousness writing that gives some insight into a few further thoughts and some impetus for the project.

The broad themes and questions of my project:

  • Commodification (of the self, of art)
  • Work and money and the body (impact of work on the body and mind)
  • Performance of the self and the blurring of reality and fiction (in everyday life, at work, in art and online, use of persona in art and life)
  • Fantasy, reverence, sacredness, dignity, respect, judgement
  • Exploitation (in work and art)
  • Freedom, autonomy (in work and art)
  • Intersections between work, relationships and interaction and the work of relationships and interaction
  • Working as a woman – pressures, expectations, experiences, choices
  • What happens when I use my body as part of my artwork? What happens to my feelings, my mental state, my body, the work itself?
  • What happens when I embrace the monetisation of my self, body and my art?
  • Is performing while “at work” inevitable? Is it possible to “be myself” while working? What is “being myself”? Is it possible to feel authentic or a sense of freedom while doing something I am being paid to do?
  • What levels of exploitation and autonomy have I experienced as an employee or while working and how has this impacted my attitude towards work and art-making?
  • Can selling the body be a work of art? 
  • What does it mean to “sell myself”?
  • How has the internet and social media impacted the possibilities for recording and performing the self?

The key forms I’m interested in working with:

  • Self-portraiture 
  • Online performance
  • Installation art
  • Conceptual art
  • “World-building”

Three key interests related to place and persona will inform the aesthetics of my work. These three places/personas all intersect and overlap and relate to my ideas of interest in different ways. They are aesthetics that I have long been interested in and when I began to think more deeply about them in relation to this project I realised that they all intersect with tropes relating to roles often assumed by or assigned to women. They are:

  • Corporate office aesthetics. Office interiors, the foyers of large office buildings. White collar worker. Good salary. Respectable work. “Sexy secretary” trope. 
  • Wedding aesthetics. The concept or role of being a bride, a wife. Wedding venues, especially hotels. This aesthetic is connected to thoughts around the work of relationships and how work intersects with gender roles – the breadwinner, the housewife, emotional and mental labour, parenting, invisible labour. The performance of the wedding ritual, the performance of relationships and security. 
  • Hotel aesthetics. Work and leisure. Hotel housekeeper. The “maid” trope connects with the housewife trope. The aesthetics of large city hotels often share characteristics with large city office buildings. These kinds of spaces blur together in my mind. 

Aim One: To create a “body of work” using my body as the primary tool or element of the creating/creation.

Objectives:

  • Create a series of self-portraits (still photos and videos) throughout the course, using the notion of creating a “body of work” as my conceptual provocation – i.e. using my body to create a body of work. Both aesthetically and formally, these portraits will be used to explore ideas of commodifying the self, exploitation, autonomy, selling art and selling the body. I will also use these portraits to explore and inhabit the three aesthetics listed above. I’m experimenting with persona, playing roles, fantasy, tensions between facade and authenticity and a style of image that invites the viewer to project their imagination onto possibilities of character and narrative. Two examples of my self portraits:
  • To commodify my self and my body to make art. I am presenting my self-portraits online on OnlyFans to paid subscribers in order to monetise the work for my financial benefit as well as to experience the intersection of selling art and selling the body as a commodified object. OnlyFans is a subscription website for creators and subscribers aged 18+. It can technically be used to sell all kinds of content but is predominantly used and known for the selling of pornographic content (of varying kinds/degrees). This commodification of my self will create an outcome, a literal body of work, as well as constitute practice based research undertaken to discover what happens when selling my work is part of the work itself. What will I discover about my other themes of interest – performing the self, exploitation and autonomy, persona, relationships etc. through this act of commodification?

  • I will also present my self-portraits in exhibition/installation outcomes to experiment with how different presentation contexts influence the experience of “selling myself” and audience perceptions of the work.

  • Regularly reflect on how it feels to commodify myself using OnlyFans so that I can keep track of what I discover through this experience and use this reflective process to inform how the project develops. I am recording these reflections on my blog, organising them in a specific category titled Reflecting on OnlyFans so that I can keep track of my experience.

Aim Two: “World-building”. To experiment with form and the possibilities of form to create multiple outcomes of the project that are simultaneously individual entities and also combine to constitute the whole “world” of the project. I want different elements of the project to inhabit different online and physical spaces over time, each element comprising part of the whole “world”. I think I feel drawn to structuring or presenting my work in this way because I always feel so fragmented and as though the things I’m trying to explore go on tangents that can never really end, that are uncontainable. I also don’t feel much separation between “my life” and “my art” and I like the idea of my work infiltrating different spaces simultaneously, the way my art has infiltrated my life and my life has infiltrated my art over time. Creating a world of blurred lines makes sense to me as my work explores blurred lines between performance, authenticity, reality, fiction, persona.

Objectives:

  • Present one very small-scale installation during the course (prior to the final outcome) to develop my skills in working conceptually and with installations. The documentation of this installation and the presentation of this documentation via Instagram will also contribute to building and maintaining the world of the project.

  • Experiment with creating physical objects to be used in installations so that my ideas can take a more concrete form alongside the more ephemeral online content. An example of one object I plan to make is a hand-made physical book version of a poem I wrote in 2022-21, titled Sermon on the Body. Beginning on 11 April 2020 I created a new word document on my computer and every day for 365 days I contributed some writing to the document. The rule was that I had to contribute at least one line per day to the document. The style was free and poetic, I didn’t worry about grammar or cohesion I just wanted to record some kind of response to each day. After one year, I had a 5,913 word poem. The themes and images within this poem have informed some of the themes of this project and in particular the series of self-portraits. This excerpt: I think she is around the same age as me, But she is far more accomplished, Her skin has a natural glow She has a body of work – has directly inspired the concept of the portraits, creating a body of work using my body.

  • Allow myself to experiment with other kinds of image-making that could be presented in multiple contexts. For example, I recently began exploring the creation of images made from the text of the captions on my OnlyFans content. I view the captions on my OnlyFans content as poems and am going to keep experimenting with how I can create “images” using these texts. Here is a screenshot of one of my captions, for example:

  • Use my Instagram to document or “perform” the entire work as it unfolds. I view this documentation as an element of the work in itself, therefore contributing to building and maintaining the world. As well as documenting the actual work (i.e. self-portraits, objects I have made, installations) I will also include other photos and videos I make that contribute to this world-building. For example, the photos I regularly take of office building foyers, hotel foyers, etc. Here are some example screenshots from my Instagram grid:

Aim Three: Develop a deeper understanding of the histories and references that inform my interests and therefore where my work belongs in a contemporary context.

Objectives:

  • Research and reflect on the work of other artists who explore performing the self, selling the self and self-portraiture.

  • Research and reflect on the work of other artists whom I view as being “world-builders”; people who make projects that are composed of elements that inhibit multiple physical and/or online spaces at once or over time. 

  • Delve into theories around performance of the self, selling the self, commodification of art etc. For example, Guy Debord’s concept of the “Spectacle” and Erving Goffman’s theories relating to “presentation of the self” in which he analyses human interaction through the dramaturgical lens usually applied to theatrical performance.

  • Consider the intersection of theory and practice. When is knowledge of theory useful to me as an artist? How does knowledge of theory or history filter down into my practical outcomes? In what ways is knowledge of theory beneficial or prohibitive to my work?

Context

Subjects I will research that relate to my practice and project:

  • History of self-portraiture
  • Contemporary self-portraiture, focusing on artists who use photography and video and artists who are not cis-male
  • Intersections of selling art and selling the body
  • Post-Internet art
  • The body in art, nudity in art
  • Performing the self – in everyday life, online and as an artist
  • Installation art
  • Conceptual art
  • Use of persona and the creation of fantasy in art
  • Relationships between art and commodification 

Some artists of interest whose work I relate to through content and/or form:

  • Francesca Woodman (self-portraiture, the female body, performing and watching the self)
  • Petra Cortright (self portraits in video form presented on YouTue, performing the self, post-internet art)
  • Molly Soda (Tumblr, YouTube, examination of online performance including forms like vlogging, self-portraiture, persona)
  • Bunny Rogers (world-building, working across online and physical spaces, conceptual art, self-portraiture, installation art)
  • Leah Schrager (social media, Instagram, performing the self, persona, sexuality, the female body, self-portraiture, post-internet art)
  • Sophia Giovannitti (intersections of selling art and selling the body, sex, work, commodification, capitalism, autonomy, exploitation, conceptual art)
  • Marie Calloway (selling the body, selling sex, selling art, the female body and experience, commodification, performing the self, reality and fiction, desire, fantasy)
  • Amalia Ulman (world-building, post-internet art, social media, performing the self, persona, self-portraiture, installation art, capitalism, commodification)
  • Caroline Calloway (world-building, post-internet art, social media, self-portraits, commodification, autonomy, persona)
  • Ryan Trecartin (post-internet art, lo-fi aesthetics, examination of abstraction of language and interaction, performance, reality and fiction)

Methodology

  • I will read books and articles that relate to my subjects of interest. Anything I read and want to reflect on will be recorded on my blog.

  • I will research and reflect on the work of artists who have made work that relates to mine through content and/or form. Anything I want to reflect on will be recorded on my blog.

  • I view my use of OnlyFans as a research method because it is an ongoing experiment of regularly creating work and there is a continual source of feedback from consumers/audience. It is useful therefore to keep a record of the kinds of comments and messages and questions I receive from my audience. I will regularly reflect on my process and experience of making self-portraits and presenting them on OnlyFans. I will record these reflections on my blog in a specific category titled Reflecting on OnlyFans. This reflection will encourage me to confront what’s working and not working with my images and videos so I can improve my process and strengthen the quality of the work. It will also mean that I am regularly considering my actual experience of commodifying myself in this way – how it feels to do this and what I’m learning from this about selling the self and selling art.

  • I will experiment with the creation of physical objects to explore how the themes of my work can be expressed in varied ways, especially beyond the online outcomes. I will be working with materials adjacent to the three key aesthetics that will inform my work. The materials I’m interested in or inspired by include: glass, mirror, carpet, white sheets, metal locks and keys, transparent plastic, chipped and cracked surfaces, marble, shiny tiles, lace, ribbons, pearls, diamontes, stickers, upholstered chairs, television and computer screens, canvas, paper, crockery, office supplies. I’m also interested in versions of materials that connote these materials for example, say, working with marble-effect paper rather than actual marble, pearl stickers instead of pearls. I want questions of authenticity and facade to be present in the materials I’m working with. I like things that might be pretending to be something they’re not or something more than they are. Diamontes, for example, masquerading as diamonds. The research will be in the making, as this is a relatively new way of working for me.

Outcomes

  • A very small-scale installation presented in a physical space. This will be an opportunity to create and refine a concept and practice delivering it in a low-stakes way. It will be both an interim outcome that contributes to the world of the project as well as practice based research. The installation will incorporate objects and self-portraits.

  • My series of self portraits. My three key aesthetic interests (detailed in Aims and Objectives) will be explored through the portraits. They will be presented online on OnlyFans and Instagram and within exhibition/installation outcomes (including the interim show).
  • Various other images and objects. Including a physical copy of my poem Sermon on The Body, as detailed in Aim Two.

  • Final installation. I would like the project to culminate in an installation. I don’t yet know what the specific concept for this installation is. I don’t want to rush into trying to determine that, I want to discover it during the course and let my experimenting and research lead me to it.

  • Instagram. As mentioned in Aim Two, the entire project will be documented on Instagram. Using Instagram in this way is both part of my research and an outcome of the project. It’s important to note that my intention with this documentation is not to provide context or insight into my process to an audience. There is a performative element to the documentation. It’s like I’m presenting the fantasy world that I’m inhabiting while I work on this project. I have archived all of my previous Instagram posts prior to this project and have started posting only images related to my project with no explanation or context given. Using Instagram allows me explore blurred and overlapping boundaries through content and form. It also serves as a promotional tool for my art. Self-promotion is an idea I’m interested in in relation to work, selling the self and selling art; therefore utilising social media within this project feels natural and inevitable.

Work Plan

Week 1 – Week 10 

  • Began taking self-portraits and experimenting with concepts, locations, costumes and editing techniques. Mostly focused on “Aesthetic One” – corporate office. 
  • Began selling work on OnlyFans and reflecting on this experience.
  • Examined self-portraits by artists I liked and reflected on their aesthetics and affects. 
  • Began researching the intersection of selling art and selling the self.
  • Began researching ideas around performing the self.
  • Experimented with ways to present self-portraits in the interim show.
  • Began documenting my project on Instagram. 
  • Read Working Girl by Sophia Giovannatti. 
  • Read Scammer by Caroline Calloway.
  • Re-read Ways of Seeing by John Berger.
  • Read parts of The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord. 
  • Re-read parts of The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman.
  • Read journal articles. 
  • Ordered sample print of self-portrait on canvas.

Week 11  – Week 14

  • Continued taking self-portraits and reflecting on this process.
  • Continued documentation on Instagram.
  • Read The Naked Nude by Frances Borzello.
  • Experimented with making images from text using the captions on my OnlyFans photos.
  • Ordered another sample print of self-portrait on canvas.

Week 15 – Week 18 

  • Choose images for interim show and order the canvas prints. 
  • Read and reflect on Seeing Ourselves by Frances Borzello.
  • Contact some places/spaces to see if it would be feasible to present a small installation there. I might present the installation in Melbourne not Adelaide (where I live). I am more familiar with venues and people in Melbourne. Or maybe I should try to do it in Adelaide for that very reason? I haven’t decided. I think I’ll contact the two or three places I have in mind in Melbourne to see if it would be feasible to present something there and then go from there. I’m thinking I’ll present it in around October 2024 but this is completely up in the air at this stage.

1 March – Arrive in London

Week 19 – 20

  • Interim show and low residency.

21 March – Arrive in Paris

  • My main focus while in London and Paris will be to take a lot of self-portraits. This will be a good opportunity to use my accommodation/hotels as new portrait locations. 
  • I will also hopefully have time to read another book on my reading list.
  • I’ll visit some galleries. I’d like to see this exhibition in Paris at the Pompidou: https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/program/calendar/event/CGOU5n9

1 April – Arrive home in Australia 

Week 21 – Week 24 

  • Immerse myself in “Aesthetic Two” –  the wedding/bride aesthetic and persona. Research around intersections of work and relationships, the ritual and performance of weddings and relationships, security and relationships, money and relationships, invisible labour, etc.
  • Take self-portraits with this aesthetic and persona in mind. 
  • Begin documenting this change in aesthetic on Instagram. Until now my Instagram will have been focused on the office/corporate aesthetic. Now, it can start to develop into something else as well.
  • Experiment with object making including experimentation with creating a physical copy of Sermon on the Body.

Week 25 – Week 30

  • Focus on conceptualising a small installation.
  • Continue experimenting with creating a physical copy of Sermon on the Body and other objects and images.
  • Continue taking self-portraits, reading, Instagram. 

June – October 2024

  • Immerse myself in “Aesthetic Three” – the hotel/maid aesthetic and trope. Research around this – the work of housekeeping and cleaning, my own experiences of this, crossover of hotel and office aesthetics.
  • Take self-portraits with this aesthetic and persona in mind. 
  • Begin documenting this change in aesthetic on Instagram. 
  • Organise and present a small installation. 

November 2024 – January 2025

  • Focus on conceptualising the final installation.
  • Continue experimenting with making objects and images. 
  • Continue taking self-portraits, reading, Instagram.

January – June 2025

  • Focus on conceptualising, creating work for and presenting the final installation.
  • Continue taking self-portraits, reading, Instagram. 

Bibliography

Books

Berger, J. (1972) Ways of Seeing. London: British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books.

Borzello, F. (2016) Seeing Ourselves. 2nd edn. London: Thames and Hudson.

Borzello, F. (2022) The Naked Nude. 2nd edn. London: Thames and Hudson.

Calloway, C. (2023) Scammer. USA: Dead Dad Press. 

Calloway, M. (2013) what purpose did i serve in your life? New York: Tyrant Books.

Davis, A. (1981) Women, Race and Class. USA: Random House.

Debord, G. (1994) The Society of the Spectacle. 3rd edn. New York: Zone Books. 

Giblin, R. and Doctorow, C. (2022) Chokepoint Capitalism. Australia: Griffin Press. 

Giovannitti, S. (2023) Working Girl: On Selling Art and Selling Sex. London: Verso. 

Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. London: Penguin Books.

Le Conte, M. (2022) Escape: How a generation shaped, destroyed and survived the internet. London: Blink Publishing. 

Sontag, S. (2023) On Women. USA: Picador.

Journal Articles

Avgitidou, A. (2003) ‘Performances of the self’. Digital Creativity. 14:3, pp. 131-138. Available at: 10.1076/digc.14.3.131.27874.

Riches, H. (2004) ‘A Disappearing Act: Francesca Woodman’s Portrait of a Reputation’. Oxford Art Journal. 27:1, pp. 97 – 113. Available at: 10.1093/oaj/27.1.95.

Fateman, J. (2015) ‘Women on the Verge’. Artforum International. 53:8, pp. 219-223. Available at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/1674465178?accountid=10342&sourcetype=Magazines

Other Articles

Petra Cortright. (2015) ‘Petra Cortright: I wanted to raise questions about the way we view women in a digital landscape’. Interviewed by A Will Brown. Studio International. 23 September. Available at: https://www.studiointernational.com/petra-cortright-interview-women-in-a-digital-landscape. (Accessed: 26 Jan 2024).

(2023) ‘‘I never fully put my clothes back on’: nudity and nuance – in pictures’, The Guardian, 13 December 2023. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2023/dec/13/i-never-fully-put-my-clothes-back-on-nudity-and-nuance-in-pictures (Accessed: 16 December 2023)

Bunny Rogers. (2017) ‘Processing Trauma: Artist Bunny Rogers on Using Her Work to Explore the Columbine Massacre’s Lingering Impact’. Interviewed by Caroline Goldstein. Artnet. 9 August. Available at: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/bunny-rogers-interview-1038647 (Accessed: 27 October 2023)

Videos

Kunsthaus Bregenz (2020) KUB 2020.01: Künstleringespräch Bunny Rogers. 10 March. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR1lfJ0FUNc (Accessed: 2 January 2024)

petra cortright. (2013) ‘BRIDAL SHOWER’. 10 November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYkFibbxeHw (Accessed: 5 November 2023)

Vernissage TV (2020) Bunny Rogers: Kind Kingdom / Kunsthaus Bregenz. 7 February. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWoz_dOCQeg (Accessed: 28 January 2024)