Publication Type: Invited Paper
Abstract: This project seeks to illuminate the complexity of human experience which emerges in sadomasochism and circus arts; both identities which are often labeled as freakish, dangerous, and/or abnormal by the dominant society. I enact methods similar to those used in Sadomasochism and Circus Arts (trapeze, aerial and/or fire performance, etc), in an effort seek to increase body awareness and self-knowledge. The division between mind and body remains a constant source of enquiry, and I seek to navigate the methods by which sadomasochistic and circus activities set about reconciling this division through performance. Both activities encounter the body on a very primal, physical level, and since both are collaborative in nature, I investigate the negotiation that takes place in establishing the relationship between bodies. In order to experience Circus Arts and Sadomasochism performance, I attend both a "play party" in St. Louis and circus workshops in Santa Fe, NM. Through this experience I explore how sadomasochism and circus arts both want to reaffirm the existence of the body through tests of physical endurance, and often express internal desire through the body, using it as a canvas or instrument. I use a combination of theory, personal narrative, and performative text to document my process, as I learn more about the negotiation and self-awareness that goes into these practices, and what we can learn about human identity through engaging in personal performances deemed “unconventional” in dominant discourses.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: This poster explores feminist critiques of consensual sexual sadomasochism, examining in particular the claim that sadomasochists are psychologically similar to rapists (D.E.H. Russell, 1982). Potential psychological methods of empirically assessing these claims are explored, with particular emphasis given to measuring psychological power-sex connections and power eroticization.