Programmed to Reproduce

Programmed to Reproduce psychological-endurance artwork. For five hours a day over seven days Jenkins read aloud and absorbed some of the tens of thousands of almost exclusively derogatory comments made about them and their work on social media following Casting Off My Womb.

The work was split into 3 elements expressing the public and private selves and how community expectations bind and shape these. Jenkins moved slowly between the elements while constantly absorbing the commentary.

Video courtesty of ABC News

During Programmed to Reproduce Jenkins constructed an intricate web of single-chain finger-knitted rope fed from yarn lodged in their vagina that gradually formed the first element of the work, symbolising the private self – a womb-like cocoon within the gallery which eventually branched out into a wider web. This structure echoed Casting Off My Womb, the original 28 day performance where they knitted a long passage from yarn lodged in their vagina to mark one full menstrual cycle.

This work was an exploration of the impact public opinion has on shaping individual identity and how communities spread and regulate standards of behaviour and expression.

Though there were reams of comments made about Casting Off My Womb, they were all very predicable – the commenters were moving en masse, repeating the same few core sentiments, as though they were pre-programmed to reproduce and reinforce these basic judgements. One could open up a new comment thread – whether it was attached to a ‘feminist’ facebook page or a men’s rights page – and accurately predict what would be said without reading through.

The same or very similar core comments are directed at anyone who presents as female who stumbles into the spotlight.

For the second element of the work Jenkins read the comments aloud, simultaneously displaying them on a screen. The words became a relentless, dull beating. Many were violent and aggressive, others seemingly more benign though it may be said that the insidious and cumulative impact of the mass of ‘lol’s and the ‘attention seeker’ jibes may be just as forceful as the more bombastic proclamations.

For the final element Jenkins was joined by other (masked) queer performers to recreate with knitting machines some of the comments as large knitted banners. The jarring soundtrack by Manuel Zabel, disconcerting lighting by Darren Lever and brutish force of the hand-operated industrial knitting machines contrasted with the introspection of the first element and spoke to the crude armour and sentiments that we employ in public.

Many thanks to:

Lighting Design: Darren Lever

Sound: Manuel Zabel

Additional Performers: Kerith Manderson-Galvin, Gavriil, Sarah Rogan, Bree McKilligan, Shirley Somers & Sel

And to Arts House, especially Josh Wright, Tony MacDonald, Bindi Green, Angharad Wynne-Jones and Luke.