27 Washes

27 Washes, 2017-2019, 2022, duration 3 minutes and 43 seconds

27 Washes is a performance work spanning from 2017-2019, covering the entirety of my 27 month service with the United States Peace Corps in Malawi. The original footage is over 35 hours long, documenting the changes of season, attire, language acquisition, and washing abilities I experienced over my service. Reformatted into a 4 minute video with excerpts from each washing, the work is a picture of learning, commitment, and practice.

A translation of the Chichewa language in this video can be found in the description on Vimeo.

Excerpt from 27 washes live performance, 2022

The domestic act of washing one’s clothing has been a common thread throughout my work, including a live performance as a washing machine during my undergraduate career. However, these performances developed new meaning after learning how to wash clothing by hand during my 3 years in rural Malawi. The live performance of a single washing in Denton, TX visually connected my experiences and cataloged the growth and deepening of my practice.