ART PROJECTS

VISUAL ART

Digital Art

“Andrae Gonzalo Local 764 Gatherings”, NFT Series

This is the image generated from a photo taken when I was finally able to meet with my fellow union members Russel Easely and Lyssa Everett at the end of the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2019. We are all members of Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local 764, of the International Alliance of Stage Employess. The image depicts my order, mid-consumption, of Eggs Benedict, with a glass of house sparkling water. It was an exciting event, as we hadn't met for a meal for over a year, and my two tablemates had been recently vaccinated. I still hadn't received my vaccine at that point, so we proceeded cautiously, lest they inadvertently transmit the virus to me. The wait staff directed us to the QR codes that summoned a digital copy of the Smith's menu. We were also instructed to replace our masks when members of the wait staff approached the table. I include these details with the hope that, in the future, they strike the reader as a piece of historical novelty, rather than a dull, unnecessary detail of everyday life.

We spoke at length about the state of our industry, and the conditions that might surround us returning to work. Russel and I had both been employed on the musical adaptation of "Mean Girls", which closed during the Pandemic. Lyssa and I both worked at the musical "Ain't Too Proud", as well, where I did a shirt-ironing call, before the Pandemic. We also discussed the labor force of Broadway and the racial inequities that exist within it. We remain committed to doing what we can, through solidarity, to correct these disparities.

"Non-Durable Goods"

This commissioned installation in "the Box" vitrine at the Standard Hollywood Hotel utilized QR code technology to commodify 100 personal fears and anxieties, re-interpreting them as scannable decorations on corresponding objects, sold in an online marketplace. Plans are in place to make the marketplace a permanent digital installation.

PERFORMANCE

"REFRACT I, II, and III"

Choreographer Deborah Lohse's site-specific installation, was conceived as a durational performance piece, wherein I constructed a dress made of chandelier crystals while she or a group of dancers executed movement culled from fashion ads and editorials. We staged the piece in three different site-specific environments in Martha's Vineyard, Newport Rhode Island, and New York City. The work addresses the subjective experience of glamour and beauty, and the influence that they have upon individuals and communites. Each incarnation of the project incorporated the surrounding landscape of the performance, integrating the participation of community performers and facilities unique to the location of the performance. Below, you'll find images from the preparation process for the piece.