suzanneduncanart

My work centers on the corporeal and the premise of the body as a site of self-healing, renewal and repair as well as inherently possessing an erotic element. At the forefront of my work is the notion of a dichotomy of strength and fragility within the body, both as a structural organism as well as a contributor and indicator of how we experience life. This dichotomy is often explored by testing the integrity of certain materials.

 In much of my work I use my own body matter as my material of choice, such as strands of my hair and fingernails, positioning myself in my own work for self-referential effect as well as serving as evidence of my existence.

 Much of my work operates around the theme of subsistence, using only what is produced (such as my own body matter) thus the amount produced and the rate of production often prescribe the work.

 The work I create rests on a decidedly labor-intensive process, these acts of contrainment and ritual were acquired as a means of channeling nervous energy into an object of desire. As the art takes place during the creation of the work, the finished piece acts as the ultimate record of the process.