I was extremely nervous about this installation because I know my technical strengths are not as high as other people’s but I was quite happy with the end result and response.
The most difficult part of the experience was trying to choose a point of entry for the installation regarding the reading. I found The Nether to be, in its thematic content at the least, inaccessible to me and my practice as an artist. The ideas of digital control and ownership and freedom are compelling but looking at it under the narratives of abuse, trauma, and the right to anonymity regarding those topics made the experience of expanding and exploring that work more difficult for me. Both Sue and I had a difficult time overcoming that material and language to find our footing in how we wanted to enter the nether. Trying to work with comedy helped both of us engage with both the material and also the idea of performing in front of the class.
Making a decision was the hardest part for us as well as getting over the embarrassment of having to be entertaining or funny or serious on a more personal level. The decision to perform something, and commit to trying to elicit a response is the most stressful part of any showcase of the self but I felt more comfortable than I thought I would when it came time to show, everyone was very open to receiving whatever it was we had to offer and that was comforting.