CONNIE HOPE

I want to listen to the things that we make as silent as possible.

In this audio clip, I have recorded the sound of my exit from a room full of conversation, into a place that is quiet. I lock myself away in order to urinate.  

Please follow this link to the padelt to listen to my audio recording entitled Silently speaking them posted by Constance Hope.

By definition, urine is a by-product of our metabolism. The nature of this word requires us to believe that in doing so we get rid of what the body does not want or cannot use anymore. But are we really listening or rather dismissing our own (bodily) needs?

The bladder is an internal space that carries out a necessary and often overlooked process, and arguably it lacks beauty. Falling short of that comeliness, we categorise the bladder and its functionality as an embarrassing exchange. I believe we disconnect ourselves from our body in this way. We close the door on ourselves and we block out things we don’t want others to hear. We don’t want to listen to our body. We don’t hear what it says, and therefore we sometimes don’t respond to our own body’s needs. We compromise, we allow beauty to mimic strength. We let vainity come before necessity.

This work is a reflection of a miracle poison. In a world with ever changing beauty standards, I have found that seeking instant gratification for our identity, or more so how we are perceived by others can be realised with the most poisonous substance known, Botulinum Toxin or more commonly known as Botox. It allows adjustments to be made to one’s face in order to enhance beauty by reducing the appearance of wrinkles. 

The reason why I have introduced the functionality and appearance of the human urinary system into my work is because of my experience with Botox – someone close to me requires it to be injected for correct functionality of the bladder. Overactive bladders cause incompetence within individuals and no doubt embarrassing circumstances. Others I know frequently use it for vanity. I found this to be an interesting insight into human nature, or more so nurture. To explain how we are seduced with perfection or seduced into the idea of being pretty and seek this pleasure with the help of poison. Either way, when using Botox for medical or aesthetic reasons, the effects wear off within 3 to 12 months.

In my studio project I am beginning to pick apart how we are our own objects. The body is born to be subjected to our own eyes and our own subjectivity. We will view ourselves from a critical distance. The image we create of ourselves takes advantage of this disposition, and we get a taste of our own medicine, quite literally. This process seems paradoxical. Images we create of ourselves fight back. Images of ourselves we make in response heal us. It won’t end and sometimes, going for a piss seems the same.