2014
Work on paper
“Performing Desire: Special Consortium Issue.” TDR/The Drama Review. Vol. 58 No. 4 Winter 2014: 2-3

Seeing documentation as a new layer of meaning, this image derives its content from the ephemera of Underwaters (we is ready, we is ready). As its title indicates, the work imagines the performance – which itself was a spell (un)casting of the histories of trauma within the Black American experience — as a prologue to the uprising in Ferguson, Missouri following the murder of Michael Brown. The text, a rhythmic word play that slides in and out of legibility, was inspired by my interest in destabilizing language, repetition as a form of meaning making, and in seeing how text could dance. The original image was taken by Ashley Hunt.

Let’s be honest. I only do what I want to do. I do not dance the way I’m supposed to do. I only dance how I want to do. I only do what I need to do. I only catch what I have to do. I’m only on to who I have to do. I only act how I born to do. I only touch what I go done do. I only catch ya’ll fin to. I don’t dance way I’m s’posed to do. I onde shave go don to do. Gon fin watch yall on to do. Fall snic twan Yann don do. yall sinnin’ nahw Chawl don blu. Let’s be honest. I only han drawn blo tryin true. S’pose swim Yann spin twin Snoo. Iron near non nuff sham poo. I ron ‘Mont naut ma fought chon you. I ron nya spect shun win dawn do. I only dance way I spose to do. I only dance way I spose to do. I own dance way s’pose to do. I o dan ay spoe too too. Lez bee on es.