This project is essentially a sculpture of a skirt-like form measuring 10 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter. The entire form hangs from the ceiling and is constructed much like a giant hoop skirt, with a fabricated entrance portal. As the viewer approaches the form, the large almond-shaped opening invites him or her to enter into the piece, which is entirely covered with a thin muslin fabric. Inside the “bodice” of the piece is a suspended digital projector that projects a video onto the floor area in the center of the space created by the skirt form. The light projected by the video will illuminates the covered skirt form and adds to its presence—further enticing the viewer to enter the sculpture.

Conceptually, the goal of the piece is to explore the exterior appearance an the interior psychological states of girls as they grow to be women. I witness this fascinating duality in my own daughter and it provides with clarity of hindsight. It is clear that how a girl’s development is supported or not supported by the world is crucial to the way girl views herself in that world. In a culture where girls are bombarded by images of how they should act and look, the gap between authentic expression of one’s own will and pressure to be perceived in an accepted way is ever-present. In this sculpture my aim is to highlight this gap by creating a cool an collected exterior form that houses the confusion of pubescent change.

The video is the representation of the perplexity a girl faces in her preteen years. An abstract interpretation of this maturation process make up the visual elements of the video. I invited six girls to create a coming-of-age ritual, filmed from a bird's eye view, to be projected in the interior space of the sculpture and be audible just outside the body of the piece. The ritual they created includes a passing of a glass, whispers, and dousing of water.

This project was funded by an Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the University of Texas and the University of Texas Co-operative Society.