30 May 2024
PRESS RELEASE
Ruup & Form Presents ‘Whisper Your Loud Roots’ by Kerry Lemon
June 8, Saturday, Ruup & Form Gallery
- Entry from 16:30 pm
- Door closes for performance at 17:00 pm, followed by artist Q & A (approximately 30 minutes)
- Followed by drinks reception.
- Note: The live performance contains nudity; explores challenging themes and will be filmed
Ruup & Form is delighted to present Whisper Your Loud Roots, an innovative performance by artist Kerry Lemon as part of her MRS ROE project. Lemon's concept of painting Tansy plants on her body using a paste of white icing sugar and water is rich with symbolism and layered meanings, weaving together historical, cultural, and personal narratives to offer a profound exploration of femininity, resilience, and societal expectations.
Historically, Tansy plants have been utilised for their medicinal properties, particularly in relation to women's health. This historical usage brings forth themes of care, healing, and the role of women as nurturers and healers. The hardy nature of Tansy plants symbolises strength and endurance, presenting a stark contrast to the delicate sweetness of icing sugar. This juxtaposition reflects the balance between the outward gentleness expected of femininity and the inner strength required to uphold it. The use of white icing sugar introduces layers of cultural and emotional symbolism. Sweetness is often associated with femininity—gentle, pleasing, and delicate. . However, sugar also embodies the dual themes of desire and denial. It represents indulgence and temptation, yet society imposes strict expectations on women to control and suppress their appetites and desires. Painting on the body directly engages with the idea of the body as a site of personal and cultural inscription. This act transforms the body into a canvas where layers of meaning are meticulously added.
Scheduled to be presented during our exhibition ‘Porcelain Dreams’, as the smooth, white surface of icing sugar can evoke the delicate, lustrous quality of porcelain. This draws a parallel between the crafted beauty of porcelain and the cultivated appearance of femininity. Porcelain has historically been a luxury item, often associated with purity and high social status, mirroring how idealized femininity is often constructed within society. This duality of sweetness and restraint resonates with the delicate and resilient nature of porcelain, which, while beautiful and fragile, also signifies strength and endurance through its ability to withstand time.
The act of painting Tansy plants with a sugary paste becomes a metaphor for the intricate and sometimes fragile beauty imposed by societal standards.
Note by Kerry Lemon
IF YOU PLANT YOUR SEED IN MY LAND THEN THE DECISION OF CULTIVATION IS MINE
The artists alter-ego - MRS ROE was sparked by processing and protesting the redaction of Roe v Wade and explores the global and localised power structures influencing the ethics of female sexuality and reproduction.
The indigenous, verbal, medicinal plant heritage that was culturally held by womxn, and the infrastructure of care it facilitated on a community level has been lost. This series utilises the knowledge and lived experience of abortive herbs as a new perspective into the root causes of our current crisis.
Whisper Your Loud Roots imagines a different kind of future, with resilience, hope and emancipation embedded in the work. The artist will be utilising her body and live drawing the abortive tansy plant using a paste of white icing sugar and water. She seeks an embodied response to the power of the tansy plant whilst exploring sugars' associations.
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We ask audiences to be aware that this work explores challenging themes. The performance is strictly RSVP. To secure your ticket please email hello@ruupandform.com.
This is first of four performances scheduled, next performances to follow in September 2024, November 2024, and February 2025. Please follow the gallery for further updates.
For more images, information email hello@ruupandform.com