THE YELLOW WALLPAPER is a durational piece loosely based on the short story of the same title written by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in 1892. The story is about a woman writer confined in a house, whose passion for writing is stifled by her misguided and distant husband. During an audio reading of the book, a performer erases parts of the text from the pages that form a wallpaper; what remains of the text focuses on the dynamics of the husband-wife relationship and illustrates the attitudes towards mental and physical health of women in the 19th century. Parallel to the erasure process a dancer performs a short piece that explores alternative scenarios where the heroine breaks free from her mental and physical captivity.
The wall installation and durational performance were one of the five acts presented at the FIVE DOMESTIC ACTS exhibit. Performed by writer Jennifer Lee and dancer Victoria Dombroski.
California, May 2019
