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Ever Idle Never Idol

Video

4 minutes 59 seconds

2019

Exhibited at Phoenix as part of the Idle Index

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'Ever Idle Never Idol' is a video that responds to the anxiety of modern productivity. As we take our work with us on our phones, every area of our life can become a workspace. Areas that were once reserved for intimate and solitary moments no longer have a natural boundary and the line between public and private diminishes. When we try to rest we can feel on edge, like we must be productive or occupied at every moment. Our moments of deserved idleness are laden with guilt.
This artwork explores the pressures of working as an artist and the many workplaces that entails. The performance is simultaneously candid and contrived, alternating between informal and theatrical as the artist tries to navigate where her place is amongst a changing landscape.
The sounds from a "relaxing ASMR breathing" video play across the piece. Though the sounds were initially intended to relax the listener, when they are placed in this new context they create a feeling that the artist is being watched, heightening the sense of anxiety and performative productivity.

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