Claustrophillick Enclosure
#1
{ 1995 } Ouhouse installation — made of wood, fabric
and various found assembled materials, including soundtrack
and fragrance
Claustrophillick Enclosure #1 was
composed of the main outhouse structure and some randomized
performative elements. CE#1 was part of the Mobius Artrages
in 1995. The idea behind the piece was to allow only one
person at a time to enter the enclosure for only one minute
at a time. Collaborator and co-conspirator Chris Borden
assisted by managing the queue, dressed in a dark suit,
Chris ushered forward one person at a time from a long,
long line to enter the space. He assisted them into the
vaginal opening, into the enclosure and closed the door
behind the entrant. He then precisely timed
one minute per 'participant | viewer', after which time
he then opened the door and helped them exit the enclosure.
The enclosure was built into a closet
of the Artrages space. The exterior looked like an outhouse
with a large #1 { playfully indicating
the universal numerological codeword for 'shit' } posted
above the door. The interior consisted of a very warm-colored
fabric { plant patterns }, lining the entire closet. A
soundtrack repetitively played from above the 'participant'
seat. The soundtrack included heartbeats, water dripping,
airplanes, traffic noises, childrens' playsongs and other
audio-collaged suggestions of sounds from within the womb.
A medicine cabinet was mounted on the inside of the door.
As the 'participant | viewer's' eyes adjusted to the darkness
of the enclosure, they could see themselves in the mirror
on the face of the medicine cabinet. The instruction 'Open
Me' directed the 'participant' to open the cabinet. The
pictographic signs for 'Men's Room' and 'Ladies' Room'
were mounted inside the medicine cabinet, surrounding
a glass jar that had a magazine clipping of a baby inside
accompanying the words 'True Love'.
A 'Close Me' sign directs the 'participant' to close the
medicine cabinet door. Angel air-fresheners adorned the
cabinet and created a 'flowery' and feminine internal aroma
for the Claustrophillick Enclosure.
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