Assignment 5: performance.

3/25/2015

My idea for this project comes from the normal need for personal space and what would happen if I displayed one simple unspoken rule on my body. I also wanted to make a statement about harassment and assault of women. In some cases one of the first questions asked is "what was she wearing?". People view it as a valid reason for an assault to happen. So I wanted to show the irony when I wear this sign if someone touches me. It's as if I provoked them with what I'm wearing, even though it says "Don't touch me.". It was one part making a statement about assault and one part an experiment to see how people would respond to the act.   

 So for my performance art project I will be wearing this sign attached to my clothes, around campus all day.
Here's the rules:
I can't take it off, I can only cover it in my zip-up hoodie
I won't say anything before someone goes to touch me, only after
The only people allowed to touch me are those I give consent to
If someone touches me I will keep a tally
I will also try to photograph them
I will take notes of how people are reacting
I must act as if nothing is on me

This is what it will look like:

  

3/26/15

taken in the library later in the day.

during art history class.

taken in the library earlier in the day.

taken in the bathroom

During the day I took notes on my phone to document how I feel and what happened.

Responses:Jacob asked me why I was wearing that sign. I said because I like it!Dude behind the counter at the cafeteria just kept staring at me. It's really hard to not notice when someone is staring at you.A few weird looksI sat with people and they were like that an art project?! And some got it some didn't."That's hella rad"It's weird to put out a kind exterior while wearing a sort of hostile sign."Not touching you" while they hold their finger a few inches awayI explained how the sign was a possible provoker and well he agreedGave a high five. Nonverbal cues but I give consent.One lady gave me a weird quick disapproving look. Like damn lady what up.Sam is a doof.He asked if he can kiss me so that's nice. He asked to hold hands in the library and I said no. It sort of feels good to have that power to say no when asked.No one is noticing. I think that's okay.Friends have mostly been asking. No strangers touching me so that's good.The guy who handed me tea didn't make eye contact until after reading the sign. I immediately could feel him reading the sign.When he handed me my cup of tea he was very careful not to brush hands.One girl stared at me when I was waiting in line.Yes I see you staring at me. It weirder when we make eye contact.No one cares.Good.Class felt weird. I kept feeling like my teacher was going to point it out but maybe I'm just being paranoid.I zipped up my hoodie because I felt weird and frustrated that I can't fold my arms properly.Ran into Alex from digital imaging and he put a thingie on yik yak to see if anyone would respond."What's up with that don't touch me sign girl?!"Sweet. I hope everyone is pissed.Seems like everyone who's guessed what it was about nailed it on the head.
walked into art history class and someone saw me and smiled. then I think he asked his friend about it but it might just be the paranoia kicking in.


To be honest I expected the worst. The night before I had so many nightmare situations running through my head. I was thinking people would try to touch me all day and maybe it would get disturbing, maybe even violent. I'm a worrier in nature. But really I pretty much had the opposite or just a watered down version of the scenarios I had in my head. It felt more like an experiment.
Some people, mostly  friends of mine, noticed right away and asked politely about it. Others noticed from a far and just stared at me. It got really hard to pretend that I didn't notice them staring. For example, when I went to buy my lunch there was a guy behind the counter that just stared at me the whole time. Just a continuous long stare. I glanced at him momentarily and he just kept on staring at me like I had three heads. Sometimes I worried that people may have thought I had some weird disorder or disease. One lady looked at me like I had a swear word written on my face. Overall, I had very few weird results. One person said what I was doing was "hella rad" so that's nice. It was a rainy sleepy day, so maybe that's why. One of my friends posted something on YikYak after I told him I've had little response. At least one person noticed and replied so that's cool.

At one point when I met with my boyfriend at lunch he asked me if he could hold my hand, sense he wanted to respect my art even though usually it's not asked about. I denied him and then later gave him consent to hold my hands. It felt good to be asked and good to say no or yes at my own choosing. Earlier in the day one of my friends was left hanging for a high five and instead sent me the non-verbal cue for high five, to which I accepted. I was going to keep track of how many people touched me but that was redundant since I gave them all consent. 

It did feel very strange. Throughout the day the project became a little less about how people respond and more about how I felt. I noticed I become more paranoid. I'm a shy person already and I'm not the kind to be hostile or bruiting in anyway. So, being someone with a typically friendly exterior, wearing a sort of hostile sign was very strange. It was good to know that people generally followed that rule so good job society. 

-Avery Violet