In my work with glitter, I take materials and figures that are conventionally seen as frivolous and make them powerful.  I transform glitter, a material that is thought of as being childish and tacky, by using it to create a work of dazzle and predatory beauty. Fairy tales provide clearly recognizable narrative formulas and archetypes, which I subvert to unsettle their traditional social lessons.  In Mustn't, the fair maidens of fairy tale, seemingly as delicate and precious as glitter, play out unexpected roles in which they are superhuman and predatory.

 

Glitter is dangerous because it is dazzling. Its beauty is changeable, with a flicker like fire or the movement of water. Glitter attracts and resonates visually because the human animal has evolved to be attuned to these elements.  Dazzle gives you pause to consider whether or not you are about to be attacked by a tiger. I use the shiny and sinister allure to entrap you in the story.

 

Angela Carter's feminist revisions of classic fairy tales inspired the dark, elaborate landscapes and their intriguing inhabitants that frame the story of Mustn't.  Performers Alisia Waller, Steve Bailey and Erika Salazar took scenes that started as static vignettes and created complex, evocative characters with dynamic relationships.  The resulting narrative and material together form a fable of shifting power and entrancement.