Mattress power
Concept/Painter - Charles Chace
Dancer - Ginger Wagg
Videography - Jesse Paddock
Project
Mattress Power is an installation consisting of a custom three-walled room and eight mattresses subjected to a painting machine. The painter Charles Chace tries to paint 4 sets of mattresses while laying on slats atop the room, at the same time the dancer Ginger Wagg performs improvised movement underneath. The crudity of Chace’s application techniques, drilling and stabbing holes in paint cans; affixing a paintbrush to a 10’ stick; and pouring paint through baskets, collide with Wagg’s contingent, awkward motions. Besides paint, the mattresses and Wagg collect additional detritus such as tape and cut paper, that cumulatively restrict Wagg’s movements. Mattress Power demonstrates the in/animate struggle that confounds the intention of the painter. The painter cannot control the appearance of the mattresses while the dancer cannot control her changing environment.
exhibitions
Mattress Power was presented/screened at SPECTRE Arts in Durham, NC in August 2016 along with leftover artifacts including the custom room, 8 mattresses, and the dancer’s costume.
The full length video was screened in the Pittsburgh's 4th Annual Performance Art Festival film series on August 26-27, 2017
The full length video was screened at Performance Is Alive as part of Satellite Art Show as part of SXSW 2018.
The full length video was screened at the pre-party for Performance Is Alive and Satellite Art Show in Brooklyn, NY in September 2019.
videos/booking
For booking please contact Ginger Wagg contactgingerwagg@gmail.com or Charles Chace