Welcome!
Artist Statement
It can be scary walking alone. When we ignore or insult the needs and suffering of others, we lose them. People should not fade into silence. Our artwork brings light to disabilities, mental and physical, through the development of sculptures, interactive objects, assistive devices, and writing. Our pieces retell our experiences of day to day life living with plurality, depression, BPD, autism, mobility, and much more.
In plurality, different alters take up different skillsets. Teres and Taz do creative writing which manifests into laser etchings. Xaler and Tico create sculptures with woodworking as well as assistive devices using 3D printing. This includes research, product development, outreach, and running a store. Derex does fabric work and drawing of owls.
Currently we are merging conceptual and functional pieces to create an exhibition that ties art representing the disability with assistive devices we have designed. This will help foster an understanding of these devices to an abled audience and give a sense of connection and shared experience in our work.
We strive to make work that is informative, assistive, or something to lighten someone's day; Because no one should need to walk alone.
Medication
Medication, medication, medication. The endless orange bottles leaving no space in our backpack for anything else. Sometimes it feels like all we are is medication. It gets tiring fast. The least we can do is make it easier for us to carry and take when we need. So, we did.
Pill Bottle Mural
Trigger Warnings: Medication
Date: 26Sep2022
Alter: Xaler, Taz
Material: Pill bottles
Size: Variable
So many meds. So. Many. Meds. We used to be on I think 15 scripts? We also change meds and dosages often. We have so many bottles. We sometimes wonder how much of how we are is our medication. How it changes us. Obviously, lots of benefits. Not dying is one of them. But how does it change us? What’s our brain chemistry like now? Is it better? Worse? Different? It’s hard to tell where we stop and the meds start. This is how many bottles we’ve used in the past two years. Yes, only two. As a performance piece, we make murals out of the used pill bottles that express emotions or our experiences with medications.
Medbox
Date: Ongoing
Alter: Medi, Derex, Xaler, Tico
Material: Pending
Size: Pending
As someone who uses daily medication and with issues related to dexterity we have always struggled with getting the pills out of the bottle and out of the pill planner. What we created is standard in design other than three key differences. One, it's designed to be easy to grab out the medication. Most pill planners have very tight edges which can make it difficult to grab out medication while the container is running low. For this design we modeled the curve at the bottom to match the contour of our fingers. Two, we added a spot for labels on the top. We've encountered use cases where one might want not just to put in a scheduled dose. This allows for labeling of different medications or combination of medications. Third, for those with issues for dexterity like ourselves, it can be hard getting pill planners open or to stay closed, even with ones designed for arthritis. The lid uses magnets to secure itself in place and has a pin to ensure it closes in the right orientation for the labels. It's easy to take on or off, but stays securely in our bag. The design on the lid is customizable and can be swapped by changing lids.
Object
We are an object. We’re just a chair in the way. We’re an inconvenience to put down the ramp. We’re the test of patience. Some people don’t understand how to just wait five fucking seconds for us to move. Or they think it’s okay to grab our handles without consent. Some twisted bastards think they can grab us without consent. So, now we must be able to defend ourselves. Actively. Because people can’t understand to keep their damn hands to themselves.
YOU WILL NEVER HURT ME AGAIN
Trigger Warnings: Sharps, Violence, Assault
Date: 5Dec2022
Alter: Chloe
Material: Plywood, Paint pen, Knife
Size: 72cm*72cm
When you get assaulted, premeditated or not, sexual or physical, you stop feeling safe. We can’t walk outside at night without something to defend ourselves. We are always so on edge and paranoid someone is going to come up from behind us. Even when our back is to a wall. But then we also don’t want to get cornered. It is so difficult to get that feeling of safety back. One common method though, self-defense training. This can either be with a trainer or taking a piece of wood, drawing a target, and teaching yourself knife throwing. Because if anyone is going to try to hurt us ever again, they’re not getting out unscathed. We won’t let them.
Wheelchair Soft Spikes
Date: Ongoing
Alter: Myra, Teres
Material: Pending
Size: Pending
The first time we went out in our wheelchair, someone grabbed the handles and pushed us without our consent or knowledge. It was terrifying, we didn't know what was happening and we didn't know their intentions. We thought for a second they were trying to kidnap us. It's like someone grabbing your wrist and pulling you forward. However, later in that walk someone did ask and get consent to help us out getting to the right place to the when we were at the bottom of a hill we would take forever to get back up. We've seen people make spikes as deterrents to people just grabbing the wheelchair and pushing, however sometimes those handles are useful.
Plural
Being more than one person in one body gets so tiring. For so many reasons. One of them is constantly needing to explain being more than one person in one body. It’s always the same intrusive questions. We got fed up with it and wrote a master document. It managed to gain some traction, even being sent around as reference material at a hospital. New problem, now people know. Now they want to know which person they’re talking to. But we can be pretty and decorate ourselves with that.
The name and stuff goes here
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The name and stuff goes here
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Expressions
We aren’t always very expressive or communicative. Sometimes going nonverbal doesn’t help either. Even when we can speak, it can be a garbled mess or a spiraling impossible to interpret story. People have to really choose to pay attention to actually hear us in that state. Which most don’t. Sometimes its easier to just have something to wear that can say when you’re not okay. Instead of searching all over for someone, anyone willing to listen, you can let them approach you.
The name and stuff goes here
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Status Indicator
Date: Ongoing
Alter: Derex, Tico
Material: Pending
Size: Pending
Someone described they find it difficult to express or share when having strong feelings or a medical episode. For this, we made the status indicator. It's a simple dial with different stages. It locks in with magnets that have colors and symbols to show different statuses and emotions.
Crisis
It’s easy to hide medical or psychiatric episodes. It’s even easier to not ask for help. Is it healthy to have seizures alone? Absolutely not. Is it easy to ask for help? Absolutely not. Sometimes it’s hard to even conceptualize what could help. Especially during an episode. Having anything to help others help you can make a massive difference. And the most important thing is what’s most difficult. Communication.
I'm sorry we didn't ask for help...
Trigger Warnings: Medical
Date: 22Nov2022
Alter: Derex, Xaler
Material: Dust print from laser engraved plywood
Size: 41cm*35cm
Cold. Paralyzed. Alone. Helpless. That’s how seizures can feel. No one knows how to react, they just freak out. Even if you give them written instructions. Some people try to call 911 against our wishes. The hospital can’t do anything. Last time we were forced to an ER against our will being kidnapped by an ambulance that wouldn’t take no for an answer we spent 30 minutes laying in a bed. No tests. No assistance. I don’t think we were even hooked up to the heart monitor. And we were sent a bill. After so many bad experiences it can feel useless, harmful, or impossible to ask for help. So, we don’t. And some people will guilt trip you so hard for that. This piece encapsulates that experience and what it looks like to walk in on us having a seizure.
Crisis Cards
Trigger Warnings: Medical
Date: 4Dec2022
Alter: Medi, Derex, Xaler, Tico
Material: Dye Sublimated Metal Cards
Size: 5.5cm*8.5cm
We have difficulty reaching out and sharing how to help us. In response, we designed customizable crisis cards to describe out different types of medical issues with descriptions of what it is and how to help. They are very appreciated by friends, loved ones, and even EMS during a seizure. They could know exactly what’s going on and how to help. We make them using dye sublimation on metal cards so they are durable, long-lasting, and easy to clean. They also have a good tactility and feel in the hand. The colors are vibrant and can be colored differently for different types of medical issues. They are completely customizable to the user.
