KIRSTEN BATTEN-LEACH

Artist Statement

I create ephemeral objects which juxtapose the overly hubristic sensibilities of man-made progress in the United States against acts of caretaking that give way to bodily autonomy. My process incorporates caretaking by using various biomaterials that change over time and require tending to. I document these durational works through painting, drawing, and photography. It is through this documentation, I ask what the difference is between labors of exploitation and labors of care and when my own body has brushed up against both? My background as a ballet dancer and domestic worker informs the physical rigor of my practice. Both are forms of labor that are hidden from some but entangled with others’ means for survival: In the ballet studio, I was forced to cover up the idiosyncrasies of my body (evidence of effort or weight). When I cleaned houses and took care of children, the objective was to go unseen. I expose those forms of labor that are camouflaged; that which happens in semi-private spaces (studio and home) and on the periphery. Caretaking, gender, and nourishment overlap and intersect at the site of my body through no choice of my own. When I’ve grown to enjoy cleaning out of necessity for survival, I wonder whether I’ve internalized the position of servitude or whether it has become an act of resistance. I accompany organic materials through their life cycles to demonstrate caretaking as a vital practice for living with, as opposed to extracted from, my surroundings.

Website