BODY/CYCLE

USING FOUND MATERIALS SUCH AS EGGSHELLS FROM HER KITCHEN, BED SHEETS FROM HER GRANDMOTHER, GRASS FROM HER GARDEN, MENSTRUAL BLOOD FROM HER BODY, AND TRINKETS FROM HER CHILDHOOD, BUKOVEC EXHIBITS 12 WORKS IN PORCELAIN THAT PORTRAY HER LEARNING/UNLEARNING ABOUT HER BODY/CYCLE, WHILE INVITING HER AUDIENCE TO REFLECT, QUESTION, AND SHARE THEIR OWN STORY.

THE PORCELAIN WORK TITLED BODY/CYCLE INSPIRED THE LARGER SOLO SHOW EXHIBITION AND WAS CREATED FROM A MOLD OF THE ARTIST’S OWN BIRTH CONTROL PACKET, REPRESENTING THE 86 PACKETS THE ARTIST CONSUMED IN TOTAL. THIS WORK BEGAN BY HER DESIRE TO PROCESS (AND LITERALLY SET IN STONE) HER INTERNALIZED EXPERIENCE CONSUMING HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL EVERY DAY FOR 7 YEARS WITHOUT QUESTION. THIS EXPERIENCE, LIKE MANY OTHERS, WAS ACCOMPANIED WITH UNCOMFORTABLE SYMPTOMS, CYCLE INCONSISTENCIES, AND ANXIETIES THAT PERSISTED. IT WASN’T UNTIL BUKOVEC’S LATE 20S WHEN SHE MET A FRIEND WHO TAUGHT HER ABOUT HER CYCLE, NATURAL METHODS OF SYNCING AND TRACKING. LEARNING THIS NEW INFORMATION ABOUT HER BODY FOR THE FIRST TIME FUELD A FIRE INSIDE BUKOVEC TO QUESTION THE SYSTEMS THAT KEEP BODIES FROM ACCESSING KNOWLEDGE, WHILE REFLECTING ON INTERGENERATIONAL WISDOM, TRAUMA, AND THE SHARED HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN A BODY.

BUKOVEC INVITES HER AUDIENCE TO EXAMINE THEIR OWN LEARNING/UNLEARNING ABOUT THEIR BODIES. SHE INVITED THE VIEWERS OF THIS EXHIBITION TO WRITE ABOUT THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES IN THE NOTEBOOKS PROVIDED WITHIN THE GALLERY, WHILE ENCOURAGING CONVERSATION AMONG STRANGERS AND FRIENDS.

FLIP THROUGH THE ARTIST BOOKLET AND PHOTOS BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 12 WORKS EXHIBITED IN BODY/CYCLE INCLUDING: THE BROKEN PLATE PROJECT, CERAMIC BOWLS REPRESENTING THE MOTHER/DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP, CYCLES CLOCKS THAT REVEAL INFORMATION, AND A CERAMIC BASKET OF FOUND OBJECTS TITLED: I CONTAIN MULTITUDES, FURTHER EXPLORING BUKOVEC’S RELATIONSHIP TO SELF.