are you on the menu

THIS SERIES OF WORK IS THE RESULT OF THE PAST DECADE OF MY WORK IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY. IN TRUTH, THIS WORK’S INSPIRATION STEMS FURTHER BACK, BUDDING FROM MY FIRST AWARENESS OF THE COMMENTARY MY FEMALE BODY ENDURES WITHOUT MY CONSENT. EACH REMARK, COMMAND, AND QUESTION ARE QUOTES TAKEN FROM MY EXPERIENCES AS A SERVER, WITH MALE CUSTOMERS. THIS SERIES IS A PERSONAL RELEASE, AND A WAY TO GAIN OWNERSHIP OVER THE WORDS SAID TO ME BY MEN. IT IS THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LANGUAGE THAT PERPETUATES SEXISM, MICROAGGRESSIONS, AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT SPOKEN AND HEARD NOT ONLY IN THE WORKPLACE BUT IN ALL SPACES.

THIS SERIES BREATHES WITH INTENTION. THE GUEST CHECKBOOKS HAVE MADE THEIR WAY INTO MY LIFE AS I UNCONSCIOUSLY BRING THEM HOME, ACCUMULATING THEM OVER THE YEARS OF SERVING AND BARTENDING. THESE NOTEPADS ATTACH THEMSELVES TO MY BODY DURING MY SHIFTS, BECOMING A PART OF ME, WE ARE THE SAME, POSSESSING THE QUALITIES OF FRAGILITY, REFLECTED WITHIN THE SMALL RIPS AND TEARS THAT CAN ONLY BE INSPECTED FROM A CLOSE DISTANCE. THE SHARP POINT OF THE SEWING NEEDLE IS A METAPHOR FOR THE PAIN OF MICROAGGRESSIONS THAT SLOWLY AND UNCONSCIOUSLY REVEALS THEMSELVES AND WORSEN THROUGH REPEATED INFLICTION. JUST AS THE STITCHES IN THESE WORKS ARE PERMANENTLY PUNCTURED, THE WORDS SAID TO ME BY MEN CANNOT BE ERASED OR UNDONE. MY NEEDLE, SEWING THREAD, AND GUEST CHECKBOOK ACT AS TOOLS OF MEDITATIVE RESISTANCE WHILE REFERENCING THE HISTORICALLY ROOTED PRACTICE OF CROSS-STITCHING AND NEEDLEWORK AS “WOMEN’S WORK.” THIS SERIES CONSISTS OF ONE-HUNDRED WORKS THAT INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY QUESTION THE PATRIARCHAL DOMINATED SOCIETY WE LIVE IN WHILE ACTING AS A FORCE OF BOTH PERSONAL RELEASE AND OWNERSHIP OF MY FEMALE FORM.