I remove my clothing. I put on a pair of silver high heels. I spread a space blanket on the ground. I spray my hair with hairspray. I lay on one end of the space blanket and spray my body with hairspray. I roll across the space blanket. It sticks to my body. I remove my left heel and place it in front of a can of shaving cream. I press the button on the can of shaving cream using my right heel. I switch shoes and repeat with the other heel. I write a word on the floor using a can of men’s body spray. I lay on the floor and unroll the space blanket. I put my clothing back on.

Performed as part of PAS Cosmonaut 200 at the Perform Now! Festival, this piece stems from work I have previously done which addresses the performativity of gender. The space blanket is an object that I have used several times before, exploring its material properties: it is highly reflective, can be shaped easily and produces a crinkling sound given even the slightest movement. It ordinarily serves a functional purpose as part of a survival kit, but in this context becomes quite glamorous and transforms my bodily appearance drastically. The body spray, shaving cream and hairspray are associated with hygiene and personal grooming rituals. They are also strongly gendered, the body spray and shaving cream associated with masculinity, while the hairspray, along with the high heels, are associated with femininity. The way in which these objects are juxtaposed humorously undermines the rigid categories of gender that they represent.