FELTDARK: JOSIE DILLON (SA) - SMALL CHESTS (NOW WE LOOK LESS WEIRD)
If I touch nothing, what do other people’s hands do? I wondered—if my jaw was to clench with appetite, if I was to be left unheard and continue on nonetheless, if I was to breathe low and trust no one—then would I be able to hold your breath?
Throughout this making process, the idea of hands got more and more abstract; like saying a word over and over again. In a bid to find connections between the people I care about and my own solitary world, I ended up feeling more and more confused and distant from relationships, yet more connected and understanding of my own body, space and boundaries.
It’s as though I’m forever on the edge of touching something, yet consistently out of touch. But my ears are always pricked, and I know when it’s best to walk away, hands up. As I came to better understand relationships as flawed and in flux, I learnt to hold onto myself for stability. And though I can feel confined and disconnected, or full of yearning sometimes, at least now I can love the restriction in my throat and understand the pleading for time in my chest.
Joise Dillon (SA): Small Chests (Now We Look Less Wierd), Video Still
Josie Dillon is an Adelaide based emerging artist, working predominantly with sound, video and paint. She completed a Bachelor of Visual Art at the Adelaide Central School of Art in 2019, which allowed for a deep exploration around ideas of self growth, loss, and sensory engagement with her surroundings. During this past year she was involved in student exhibitions at the school, as well as group exhibitions at the Adelaide Town Hall and Ancient World. She spent time volunteering for the Le Phun art installation at WOMAD 2019, and has written for fine print magazine. This FELTspace show will provide the artist with an important opportunity for collaboration, conversation and professional and creative growth.