Beats

Creating “Beats”

As I began the difficult work of finally processing the trauma of my illness and subsequent disability, I turned to my art as an outlet. This dancefilm, initially inspired by my experience with Lyme Carditis, took on a new, abstract form when I enlisted the help of my collaborators Brad Webb and Josh Brasted. I began the journey of creation feeling very alone, and discovered a sense of support and community along the way. You may also recognize my nod to Frida Kahlo, an icon among artists with disabilities, and for those who love Art History as I do, the painting which I am referencing was inspired by events in her life which paralleled mine in that moment.

After the film was completed, I organized an event to present the art that was created along side it. The costume was designed and created by me, and hand-embroidered with velvet and gold appliqué. The drawings you can see in the video below were inspired by sketches I did in preparation for the costume. The smaller matted ones to the right were enclosed in all the thank-you cards I sent to people who donated to the project. There were a few left over, and they are available for purchase.

You can also see some black and white photo prints in the video below, which were a part of a collaborative series I did with photographer, Jason Kruppa. We attempted to create abstract visual representations of some of the symptoms of my illness. Some of these prints are also for sale. These and more photos from the series (which I started calling “Honest”) are paired with corresponding essays that I have written on my Patreon page.