I Stand
"I Stand" at the US Supreme Court & Capitol 2012 Public Action in Washington DC
I Stand 2012
I did not know when I started this action that I would become a target for the anger, support, disdain, fear, gratitude and curiosity for the then new healthcare law by passersby from every part of the country and world. The Affordable Care Act (ACA)would give 20 million people access to health insurance. For many, the new law would save their lives. I needed to speak up and share what I learned from my subjects and from studying the ACA. The "I Stand 2012" video explains how it all started. I used the portraits and my body by anchoring in place for hours over 5 months to draw the world to me. In my stillness I became a keen observer of the human animal. As a performance art piece, this action showed me that human beings will staunchly defend a position if their identities are not separate from their opinions. Facts don’t matter.
I also had many personal epiphanies about how I occupy space on the planet. In the audio clip, I Am Like the Homeless.I share one of those aha moments.
My husband and I took out a home equity line of credit to finance my standing.
In 2012 I exercised my First Amendment right to bear witness in a public space. I stood with portraits from the ASI Healthcare in the US painting series in front of US Capitol and Supreme Court for 5 months (Jan. through May), 2-3 days/week, 5 hours/day, no matter the weather. The portrait stories gave me a way to draw attention to the lack of access to healthcare in US for many millions.
"I Am Not Like the Homeless"
"I Am Not LIke the Homeless"
