The Earth & Myself

The Earth & Myself
Woodwork Performance Festival, London, UK 1992

The Earth & Myself handout card
with Chief Joseph (Nez Perce) quote & additonal text
approx. 3 x 4 inches

Woodwork Performance Festival, Spring Gardens Park, South London

For this piece I designed, created & wore a top with fringe that blew in the wind when riding my bike, and a mask made out of tin cans & pigeon feathers. The top was made out of repurposed fabric found in an abandonded textile factory close to my North London flat.

I had small cards printed with Chief Joseph’s words “The Earth and myself are of one mind. The measure of myself and the measure of the earth are the same” plus I added the text “Protect Yourself & All Your Relations. Protect Earth”. The text was written in an old English looking font in a playful nod to the presence of a First Nations artist & cultural activity with the UK – a reversed & fundamentally different dynamic than the cultural histories of the British coming to Turtle Island.

I’d also placed a card in the spokes of my bicycle, to add a lovely, rhythmic musical accompaniment as I rode around the festival grounds, handing out the cards to audience members & passers by.