The Veil.

It is now time for my second video, “The Veil” (2010). The video on YouTube is an edited down version of the full performance, which was 1 hour and 10 minutes long. If I can figure out how, I will post the full performance at a later date.

Most of what is written below comes from notes I made on “The Veil” both before and after I performed the piece.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a fan of performance and video art. I hope what I write below will answer any questions you have about the piece. I tried to be very detailed. I have been told by others that being detailed takes away some of the mystery of the piece and does not let the audience interpret the piece. I do not believe that is true. What I love about art is that you can interpret it anyway you want, even when told what it is about. We all have different experiences and background and this can influence how we see and take in a piece.  So please have some fun! I hope you will have your own opinions and interpret the piece in your own way.

THE VEIL

This piece was a metaphor for the walls that people build to protect themselves from the sorrow and pain of life.  Though these walls that are meant to protect the wearer, they become cages; self-made prisons that are constant reminders of that which the person is trying to guard herself.

I created my own interpretation of the veil to illustrate the idea of the personal prison made from an object that is meant to protect. Many cultures use the veil as a vehicle for defense or repelling pain, sorrow, and corruption.  Though they are intended to protect, and serve as a form of relief from the pain of life, veils, especially mourning veils, act as a constant reminder of the pain, corruption, and sorrow, not only to the wearer, but to all that see it. This turns the veil into a self inflicted prison, holding in the sorrow, corruption, and pain. The steel veil characterizes the weight and burden that one carries because of the sorrow, pain, and hardships of life.

CONSTRUCTION: I made the veil from lace and sixteen gauge stainless steel, cut into rough rectangular plates with a plasma cutter. A small gauge wire held the plates together and attached to a padded head piece. The metal veil laid over a black funeral like lace. Three strings of steel plates dragged onto the floor producing a scraping sound, while the rest of the steel plates that made up the veil clang against each other, creating a clinking similar to the clanking of chains. Many of the steel plates had jagged edges that could catch onto the lace or potentially cut my skin. These edges aided in showing the possible damage that a self made prison, be it mental or physical, can have on its wearer/ prisoner.

ELEMENTS OF VEIL PERFORMANCE:

Movement- I moved from the back hallway in the sculpture building through the sculpture area, and into the gray gallery space. I made four stops in areas where I stood still for 15 minutes. The performance took approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.  The movement of the veil against the floor allowed for the sound of the steel of the veil to be heard. Though the journey alluded to the idea of moving on, moving away from the pain and sorrow, the journey I took in the veil, symbolized the voyage of life and the pain and sorrow one must endure. The weight and constant reminder of the hardships of life, caused by the heavy steel veil, hindered the journey, symbolizing the affect (the weight) that pain, sorrow, and hardships can have on our lives.

Audience Interaction- The pauses in the journey allowed me to be seen and interacted with by the audience. Though they might have interacted with me, I did not react or interact with the audience. I only served a macabre presence, a symbol of pain, sorrow, hardship, and death; an example of the self made prison. Interestingly enough, during the performance no one really interacted with me while I was in the veil. Some looked when they heard the sound of the veil, but while standing still, I was ignored. It was not until I removed the veil and collapsed onto the floor in tears that people began interacting with me.

Endurance and Weight- At the time, I felt that I could comfortable stay in the suit for 20 minutes before the weight begins to affect me. I planned to be in the suit for over 3 times that time. I wanted to show the effect that the weight of the steel has on me; how the veil, like pain and sorrow, can hinder the journey of my life. I intentionally made the veil out of steel so that I could physically experience the burden of pain. I was not entirely sure how the weight would affect me, or if I would be able to complete the piece. The weight of the piece, and the reaction of my body during and after the piece, also helped to show the damage that a person can inflict on herself, be it mentally, by constant reminder and focus on the pain of life, or physically, through the wearing of a self made steel prison.

Sound- The sound is reminiscent of the sound of chains dragging on the floor. They not only allude to the idea of the chain gang in a prison, but also add to the morbid visual image of the black veil. The sound draws even more attention to the veil, forcing the audience to pay attention and be reminded of death or the pain and sorrow in their lives. The dragging also helps to show the weight of the veil. It gives the audience more of an idea of the burden that the wearer must carry.

CULTURAL REFERENCES:

-Jacob Marley (From Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol) - Jacob Marley was my first inspiration for the creation of the veil.  In the story, Marley, through the horrible deeds in his life, creates the chains that he must wear in death.  He is a prime example of the self made prison. By hoarding money, protecting him from the poverty of life, he created the prison that he must wear.  The chains, not only serve as a constant reminder to Marley of his horrible deeds, but also serve to show the viewer, Scrooge, what could be. Through Marley’s chains, Scrooge remembers all of his horrible deeds, and can see himself in Marley.  Like Marley, my veil is a reminder of pain, sorrow, and serves as a macabre presence making the viewer look at their own lives. The addition of the dragging steel was inspired by Marley’s clanging and dragging chains.

-Victorian Mourning Veil- Women in Victorian times wore mourning veils at funerals and after for a pre determined length of time depending on the relationship to the deceased.  The veils would sometime reach to the floor and in many cases would have several layers. The veils were meant show that a woman was in mourning and protect her when she was out in public.  The veils not only gave the woman privacy, but served as a constant reminder to the woman as well as to all around her that she was in mourning and that someone near her had died. When one saw a woman in a black mourning veil it was like a “Memento Mori” a constant reminder that death can come at any time and affect anybody. I took the color black from the mourning veil. At first the veil was about the pain of death, and then I realized that as a symbol of sorrow it could be used as a metaphor from protection from all the pain and sorrow of life, not only death

-Western Wedding Veils- Though the wedding veil is worn supposedly happy time in a woman’s life, I have always thought it was a bit funny.  The wedding veil is a symbol of purity, virginity and grace.  Today it is merely a tradition because many women do not remain virgins until they are married.  But the veil is meant to protect form the corruption of life, showcasing the purity of the woman who wears it.  What I find funny is that it also serves as a reminder that a few hours after the wedding, the purity and virginity of the woman will, most likely, be gone.

-Middle Eastern Veil- The veil worn by many women in the Middle East is seen as a form of modesty and devotion to God, as well as respect for their husbands and families. The veils or hijabs can cover their whole body including their face, or only cover the hair and neck. The definition of the veil is to seclude, to conceal, forming a separation, to mask. Many outsiders see the veils or hijabs as work by women in the Muslim religion as a constant reminder of oppression to women; a prison that the women of the Middle East comply with, under the control of a man run regime.

AFTER: Did not expect that I would become so emotional. As began to walk and stand for while, the weight began to bring pain. The crown dug into my scalp. The padding was of no help. I was ignored by most people, I gave no indication that I would talk to them. No one tried to talk to me for most of the time.  Eventually I was in pain and left with my thoughts.  The Veil; the prison; became isolating. I began to think about pain; the physical caused by the veil and all the pain in my life.  I thought about things that bothered me. The veil seemed to get heavier and heavier. Soon I felt trapped. I couldn’t breathe and began to gasp for air and cry.  I felt ignored, alone, and left with only troubles.  The mourning aspect of the veil, how I culturally see the veil began to come into play. I kept thinking about mourning, black, alone, death, sorrow, and all that was wrong with me. The pain kept getting worse. My chest began to heave in pain.  All I could think about was how I was alone.  “What am I doing?” I wanted to remove the veil but kept it on.  When I entered the grey gallery space, I was in total shock.  I was in so much pain, had to rock and move to relieve it. My eyes ran with tears. I was bawling tears. No one asked if I was okay. People looked, but I felt so alone. I felt like I had no help. When time was up I called out “Please, Please get me out of it!” I was Begging. I wanted people to notice me, to help. (The camera shut off before this happened but captured me collapsing on the floor). I was physically and mentally exhausted. I could not get out of the frame of mind that I was trapped.  I wrapped myself up in the fetal position head down could not deal with outside.  I was still in the frame of mind of being trapped, overwhelmed, and alone. I was also confused. I had mixed feelings of freedom and happiness to be out of that physical cage. I cried for 20 minutes.