Performative Prints
Performative Prints are my merger of performance and printmaking, using fairly traditional materials: screenprints on construction paper. But while the materials are simple, together, they push the boundaries of both art forms.
How performative prints work: Construction paper, due to the cheap dye used in its production, fades when exposed to sunlight. I exploit this defect in the paper quality and print imagery camouflaged with the color of the construction paper. This imagery usually portrays a plot twist in the visual narrative created by the initial, visible composition and is revealed once the fading of the paper occurs.
How long does it take to fade? “Results may vary.” It depends on the amount and type of exposure the print receives. Direct sunlight fades the paper more quickly than indirect sunlight and prints exposed during summer fade quicker than in winter. Placed in a location that gives sustained direct sunlight, fading can occur within a week. This is my suggested lighting condition.
Prints are not typically thought of as performance-based and performance is not typically thought of as being enacted by inanimate objects. Performative Prints are both an object and an experience.
