Sleepwalkers is a series of mixed media photo objects made as puppets. Images were printed on fabric using a variety of processes including toned cyanotypes, digital printing, collage, encaustic and papier maché. I have chosen to make puppets to address our political and social climate, especially after the 2016 debate when each candidate accused the other of being “the puppet” along with the rise of AI, which is another form of puppetry,.
Wokeness has become a pejorative term within our political discourse even though it has been in use since the 1930’s within the African American community to refer to racial discrimination and prejudice. During these politically charged times, I have been drawn to making puppets due to their long political and sociological history as well as the practice of puppetry among the Fluxus artists, Dadaists and other political movements as a way to challenge societal norms. Puppets can be creepy and disarming. Who is the puppet and who is the puppeteer? We are manipulated by forces outside of ourselves – advertisting, social media, politics and an overwhelming cast of other forces. These Sleepwalker puppets serve as a commentary on our current times of strife and division.
In my photographic practice I have been driven by contemporary sensibilities along with new ways of presentation. My work lives at the intersection of photography, installation, sculpture, textiles, puppets and sometimes sound. Born with a congenital blindness, my practice has long been tactile using a mix of methods.
