I recently found my artist statement from The Tampon Ball, which—as you can discern from the title of this post—was my first art exhibition. Sure, I had had my work in school art shows but never did I star in one. That changed one summer day in 2005 when my friend, LB, and I showed up at Toad Hall. It was a vintage clothes shop in the front and the owner’s living area in the back, behind a screen, just a breath away from all the secondhand dresses, jewelry, and books.
The owner, Diana, was a freelance artist/artist’s model. She showed us her latest art project (crocheting purses from strips of elastic) and said how she wanted to have an art exhibit about her ex-boyfriends called Where Are They Now? Speaking of art exhibits, Diana intended to revamp the empty connected room next door and open a gallery. She toyed with the idea of calling it “Lunch” because “artists need to eat too!” (However, she said that name made her think of a guy she knew who was dating a woman named Lydia Lunch, and he used to randomly yell, “I want Lunch! Where’s my Lunch?!”)
We showed her our artwork and left that day with plans for LB and me to feature our work at the gallery’s opening in a month’s time. This felt like a big deal for both of us, and we were determined to have fun with it and really make it ours. The first step toward that goal: naming the event The Tampon Ball. Why did we call it this? I don’t know. We are edgy and whimsical, I guess!
The Artwork
So what kind of art did I make in 2005? Well, I mostly wrote fiction then. I worked part-time that summer as a creative writing assistant for a high school art program. I’d just learned about and completed NaNoWriMo the year before, and I was on a roll, suddenly finding it easy to finish first drafts. I no longer considered myself a procrastinator, a trait that I now can’t believe I ever associated with myself. As for the content of my novels and short stories, that’s for a different blog post.
I still created visual art though. In this time before drawing on a tablet, I worked primarily in analog mediums; I painted, took photographs, and made collages. I’ve posted many examples and talked about my work from this time on Patreon, and I’ll do it a little bit here too.
In fact—cringe—I’ll let 2005 Stef do it in the form of her artist statement for the Tampon Ball:
I have always enjoyed creating artwork with a mysterious air to it, and by flipping through back issues of fashion magazines and rummaging through closets, I was inspired to combine intrigue and sensuality with the bare-bones method I wanted to pursue. Tired of painting realistically and taking photographs of textures, I equipped myself with acrylic paint and a 35mm Nikon and set off to try something different.
Interested by 1950s actresses and the various models in Cosmopolitan and 17, I wanted to paint black-and-white portraits outlining the most basic features of glamour girls against a colorful, patterned background. Some paintings appear more lighthearted and whimsical than others, but all of them retain an enigmatic quality despite their simplicity. [GAHHHHH!!!!—me today] I let some of the background show through the white of their faces, only enhancing the secretive quality and emphasizing the layers, both literally and metaphorically. [STAAAHHHPPP—me today again] I am attracted to acrylic’s basic-yet-flexible aspect, and I paint on a variety of surfaces, including wooden paneling and canvas. I believe that what is important is not always what materials you use, but the work itself and just getting the art and ideas out of your head and making them come to fruition.
My interest in female portraiture carries over to my photography where I have taken pictures of my aunt’s Barbie dolls from the 1960s. I like the idea of rescuing them from the fate of being forgotten to incorporating them into art. They’re nude, their hair isn’t brushed, and two out of the three dolls are missing limbs, but there is still something captivating about their faces which remain sensual and serene despite their assorted positions and the state their plastic bodies are in. The dolls also make the best models, as well, as they never become too tired to pose. I photographed the dolls slightly out of focus for a soft, dreamlike effect, with the dolls posing with collected objects including necklaces, scarves, lace, beads, and a plastic tiara.
I am going into my senior year at West Chester University and continuing to pursue a degree in Literature with minors in Art and Creative Writing. “The Tampon Ball” is my first art exhibit.
Oh me! Here are some examples of what Past Me described (I’m pretty sure they were part of the show, so: relevant):
The Tampon Ball
Finally, ’twas the night of the Tampon Ball! LB wore a sparkly black dress and brought art titled things like Bonjour, Pisshead. Most memorably, she’d exhibited a $1,854 piece called Kyle Needs a New Liver, and it was a photo of the Power Rangers in a broken frame with the words fuck you on it.
Everyone signed a guest wall instead of a guestbook, we served cereal instead of hor d’oeuvres (a word I can never spell right), and we scattered tampons all over the floor. I sang a couple of songs while my then-boyfriend played guitar. A performance artist dressed as a bloody tampon crawled up and down the street in front of the building. My grandma came, insisted I hold her hand as she toured the gallery, and worried that her fishing hat would embarrass me. Gramma, there’s a man slithering on the sidewalk pretending to be a menstrual product; you’re doing great.
The Aftermath
I can’t speak for LB, but I didn’t make a dime from that show; none of my work sold. You’d think more people in the Scranton area would be clamoring for an 8×10 of a bare-breasted Barbie to display in their foyer, but no. I imagine that was kind of a bummer at the time for my college-age self.
However, in retrospect, I’m really proud of The Tampon Ball and what we accomplished. We had a really fun vibe at our event, from the art to the refreshments to the space to the performers. What I found especially wonderful was how accessible showing and seeing art in a gallery became. When you throw out the idea of what a gallery opening “should” be—snooty, elite, highly polished (but maybe pretending not to be), highfalutin wines and cheeses—you can easily and realistically do and achieve whatever you want. You don’t have to jump through hoops, be perfect, or ask or wait for permission. Just go for it!
I haven’t seen Diana since 2006. Admittedly, I don’t think I’d even know her if I saw her. Toad Hall eventually closed. I hope she’s doing all right and that she eventually had her exes art show. I’ll always appreciate how she gave LB and me not only a chance but the freedom to really have fun with it and be ourselves.
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