“Give” is an object-based endurance piece that was performed during “Flesh Crisis: Pop-up Performance Series,” in Kansas City, MO. The duration of this piece was approximately one hour and 20 minutes.

For this performance I suspended six golden open-faced lipsticks from the top of a 4 x 8 ft black metal frame. The lipsticks ranged in various shades of pink and were hung just above the height my physical body could reach.

Within this constructed space I repeated the actions of sampling, applying, and selecting a lipstick. To sample, I stood on the tips of my toes, stretching my body to reach the lipstick. I would balance the container on my mouth and wrap my lips around the lipstick to apply the material as well as I could. Each application sculpted the lipstick into a non-perfect form, transforming the object from new to used. After each application, I stepped down from the frame to contemplate which one I would try next, sometimes walking in and out of the frame. Through repetition of reaching for these objects, I created tension on my neck and feet. After my body reached its physical limit, using my lips and teeth I chose the lipstick that was the most accessible. I smeared the final selection around my lips with my hands and left the space.

“Give” is meant to create images of failure and perfection, and attempts to communicate emotional strain absorbed from neglecting my personal desires, as well as self-harm through intimacy. As the piece progressed, each lipstick accumulated layers of one another. This material build-up mirrors my exploration of queer sexuality.