Womenfolk: Songs from the Valley Below

Out of Bounds: Art, Faith & Religiosity conference
Monash University, Faculty of Art & Design
Melbourne, Australia
August 22, 2008

a collaborative performance with Australian performance artist Catherine Bell

Womenfolk used folk songs passed down from Medieval times, the visual spectacle of Christian martyrdom and penance, and the sensory experience of church rituals to explore ways that contemporary utopian religious sects isolate themselves in self-sustaining communities, or "inner sanctums," in order to transcend the drudgery of daily life and secure a place in heaven.

The performance took place in a stairwell on campus, with the audience viewing the action from above, looking over the railing or through the slats of the stairs.

Photos: Andrew McLeod