SELF-DEFINED

ALISON LEE SCHROEDER

MIXED MEDIA INSTALLATION AND PERFORMANCE WITH SILK-SCREENED T-SHIRTS, MARKET STAND.

2004 - current

For this project, I asked a wide variety of people of different ages and backgrounds to write a definition of themselves. Most of the definitions were thoughtful and complex. The challenge of defining oneself through words calls into question not only who we are, but also how we see ourselves, how we want others to see us, and how we would like to be remembered.

I silkscreened the definitions in white on black t-shirts and distributed them to the public by donating them to thrift stores and selling them in performance-based installations. The presentation involves a booth that mimics a typical clothing market (in this case from the central market in Cuernavaca, Morelos). I dress and act the part of a vendor, selling the shirts at market price.

What interests me most about this piece is how people use labels to communicate about themselves. These particular texts have been thought about profoundly, and when someone is able to identify with one of them, it talks of a certain degree of specificity. Throughout the entire process I am surprised and delighted with the way people reflect upon themselves and how they ultimately choose what to show to the public.

I am revisiting this piece. If you would like for your own definition of yourself to be considered for a t-shirt, please fill out the information below. Your definition can be as long or as short as you please.

Estoy revisitando esta pieza. Si te gustaría que tu propia definición se considerada para una playera, por favor manda tu información abajo. Tu definición puede ser tan larga o corta como quieras.