You are bobbing for apples.

"You are bobbing for apples.
A happy marriage to you both.
נישואים מאושרים לשניכם"

December 7th, 2010

I did yet another performance piece for my sculpture final (stills above from Gahee's wonderful video she took). I might post the actual video at some point in time. But for now I want to attempt to write-up what happens in this piece.
In the performance I walk up to a wall and take down a headpiece and a two-wrist cuff that both hang on individual nails. Both the headpiece and cuff are made of braided muslin. There are two rubber 10-gallon buckets atop a sheet of wax paper that is still connected to the roll. The bucket on the left is empty while the bucket on the right is filled about half way with grape and beet juice. Two kosher grape juice bottles sit next to the left bucket. Two post-it size cards are on the floor stating what is quoted above. I kneel down beside the bucket on the right. My body is facing against the audience and I am still for 30 seconds. I put the head piece on my head and my eyes become concealed. I place my hands behind my back and put on the cuff. I then begin to dunk my head into the bucket, stay under for about 20 seconds, and rise. I continue this six more times, each time pushing my head further to the bottom of the bucket. As my head rises each time, the head piece becomes more saturated with the beet and grape juice, and my gurgling and breathing becomes heavier. When I finish dunking I take off one side of the cuff and then the head piece. I ring the headpiece over the bucket of juice and toss it in the bucket to the left of me. I then reach my hand into the right bucket and pull out a single beet. I take the beet and walk over to the cards on the floor and cross out the line "You are bobbing for apples." I walk away.