Form, Aggression, Tension, Repeat
Using film and physical action, I am investigating gender as a complex concept, questioning our understanding of stereotypes in our current society and how they impact our daily lives.
Inspired by the deceptively feminine sport of cheerleading, (traditionally an all-male activity), I am exploring the conventional, masculine characteristics of aggression and strength.
The formal qualities of balance, weight, tension, mass and time are reflective of the conditions I must master in order to successfully complete the actions of my performance in my video, “Form, Aggression, Tension, Repeat”, 2021. Reliving an action of play from my childhood, performing 91 continuous cartwheels, it seeks to push beyond my body’s limits to reveal its true potential of endurance.
I experiment with performative action to understand the notions of strength and the resilience of the human body. Projection of the film emphasises the black-and-white world of gender archetypes.
Through the process of my practice, I hope to evolve new perceptions of what defines gender, to manufacture a contemporary understanding of what gender could represent.
Stacey Mulligan is based in Roscommon, Ireland.
Stacey Mulligan (b. 1998, London) is an emerging visual artist. On graduating with a First-Class Honours Degree in Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Contemporary Art at The School of Design and Creative Arts, ATU, she was longlisted for the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Visual Art Award 2021.
Stacey has participated in group exhibitions such as “Killorglin Arts Festival”, 2022, Kerry, “Transience”, 2021, a graduate-led exhibition in the Coach Station, Galway, and “B.C.”, 2021, an exhibition in The School of Design and Creative Arts, ATU, Galway. She was also awarded a PsSqaured Belfast Short Residency in June 2022, Belfast.