Space and Materiality, Performative Object: Washington Square Park, 3:00 p.m.
Title: Catcall Quotes
Approx. Dimensions: 32″H x 25″W x 8″D
Materials:
- Vinyl shower curtain
- Sewing thread
- Sharpie
- Cellphone charger (Lights)
Photos during the performance
Washington Square Park
December 13, 2017: 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
To perform my object, I asked one of my friends to put on the jacket and follow me around Washington Square Park. I asked him because I wanted a guy to wear it because I think that it would make a bigger impact. I asked him not to say or do anything, just walk behind me and let people write on the jacket. I walked around and I went up to women and I asked them if they have ever been catcalled. If they said yes, then I asked them to write something that has been said to them to them on the jacket. I wanted to address the issue of cat calling because it is something that happens to me regularly and I know that it happens to other people as well.
Link to video: https://vimeo.com/247423462
This video shows me walking around, with my friend wearing the jacket, and asking people to write on the jacket.
Reflection:
This project was a challenge for me. I chose to work with a material that I am not comfortable with, doing something that I have never done before. I wanted to challenge myself and I am really glad that I did. The jacket itself came out better than I thought it would and I learned that I can make a jacket. Going out into the public and actually performing my object was a bit of a challenge for me. At first I thought that it wasn’t going to be a big deal but then when I actually got out there and started talking to people, I got really nervous. I found that a couple people did not want to be filmed and a lot of people either didn’t want to talk to me or they really just had not been catcalled before. I found that not as many people experience catcalling as I thought which was very interesting. If I were to do the project again I would probably do something a little different maybe with a play on words and have a cat incorporated some how. But overall am very please with how my object turned out and I am glad that I pushed myself do something that out outside of my comfort zone.
