Property Of is my response to the overturning of Roe vs Wade. My mother used to say, “I pay the cost to be the Boss.” I’m not sure if she was quoting B.B. King or James Brown, but. I do know that I’m paying the cost to be the Boss of my uterus. Property Of seeks to answer the questions, How much does your uterus cost? Who does it belong to? From the onset of your first period, the financial responsibility and associated burdens of your uterus has fallen solely on your shoulders. If you’re not allowed ownership of your uterus, then who is responsible for the financial journey and the burdens associated with maintaining the uterus?
My practice exists within many nuanced intersections of gender identity, storytelling, and communal healing. Property Of explores the immense price of having a uterus while simultaneously reminding the audience that unfortunately, financial investment does not equate to ownership or autonomy.
Property Of occurs in two phases. The first being data collection. I’ve conducted interviews with potential participants, community leaders and organizations that focuses on women’s issues, reproductive health and associated issues to create this questionnaire. I’ve researched the costs and the burdens associated with all aspects of maintaining a uterus. Participants will answer questions pertaining to the financial investments and burdens of owning a uterus. From this, I’ll calculate the financial journey of the uterus. Participants have the option to remain anonymous when completing the questionnaire. The collected data will remain confidential and will be used for this project.
The second phase is data presentation. An installation of clay uteri with their price tags attached. Each uterus and price tag will be created by hand. The name of the participant will appear on the womb of the uterus and the price tag will have the tally of the participants’ uterine journey. Every participants financial journal will be different. Property Of acts as a visual and tangible tally of the immense financial, societal, and emotional burden fixed on those with uteruses.
As an ongoing installation, my intention is for Property Of to grow and shift as more costs are tallied. This project requires community participation and multiple intersecting voices for it, and you, to truly be heard.
Please copy the link or scan the QR Code to complete the questionnaire.