8————8

8————8 is the first iteration of a collaborative project investigating the ways in which the queer BDSM community works through trauma. On August 30, 2022, I invited Grace, Mack, Ben, and Melon to my house for dinner. Although we had never met before, we spoke freely about our shared interest in rejecting binaries imposed by gender and sexual roles and the possibilities for a BDSM scene to be a place for healing. Over the course of several rehearsals, we developed a performance, titled 8————8.

A 7-minute video edit of the 15-minute performance is viewable here.

Performance by Melon Sprout, Clark Woods, Grace DeVies, Catie Rutledge, Ben Herbert and Mack Baker on September 11, 2022 at Mana Contemporary in Chicago, Illinois.

Performers: Melon Sprout, Clark Woods, and Grace DeVies

Live sound & Direction: Catie Rutledge

Drawing: Lisa Claire Greene