Alaudidae's Resurrection — MaxxM Studio Cave

Alaudidae's Resurrection was a durational performance that took place over the months totaling the year 2022, and the second installment of the story that began in Penuel Grounds.

I began to consider what the active journey of Falling would feel like for Jacob after leaping from the cliff, and how his decent back to Earth would take form.

To begin the exploration, I sourced a vintage, US military grade parachute off ebay that was then utilized and transformed through multiple performances over the course of the year:

Images from original ebay listing

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Part 1: Opening the parachute with Downtown Girls Basketball

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Part 2: A monologue included in Lover’s Never Say Goodbye, a variety show curated by Jo Rosenthal at Fort Makers May 24, 2022

38 Orchard Street
New York, Ny 10002

Monologue:
A year ago I leapt from the cliff of my reality. Suspended time as I free fell from 6 miles high. Eventually, I yanked the ripcord and began my controlled descent back to Earth. Because isn’t that what flying really is? Have you ever seen a bird take flight? Watch closely next time, you’ll see. Like the skylark, I sang a new song as I morphed from Rhiannon to Saint Anthony. I flew with Archangel Raphael over Little Italy and Johnson Avenue, South Slope and Auburn, Ohio. My parachute was an extension and I came to believe we were one. Until recently, I landed back on Earth, into her amniotic fluid called Ocean. As I attempted to swim toward the surface, my parachute wrapped around me: swirling and grabbing. Struggling, I swam my way toward shore so that I might be resurrected through the waves. What once saved me now threatened to drown me if I did not release it and say goodbye. Slowly sinking into the depths (that some believe to be outer space?) my oxygen ran out, my lungs crushed, and I cut the cords to part. As I did so, the parachute unwound from around my neck and began to fill with air… slowly lifting me toward the light.

Audio components:
_ Like A Prayer cover by MOTHERMARY
_ Wind in the branches of East River Park Trees on death row recorded May 24, 2022
_ The sound of Kehana waves on Pele’s rock collection recorded August 12, 2021
_ Kill Jill Instrumental - Big Boi feat Killer Mike and Jeezy, sampled from Aura Qualic feat. Hatsune Miku's "DATA 2.0"

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Part 3: I slashed parts of the parachute into a dress to be worn to the Alyssa Davis Gallery Spring Gala using the narrative that I had just landed in the ocean after jumping from the cliff with my parachute, swam to shore where I ran into friend, collaborator, and gala date, Hanan Sharifa.

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Part 4: The parachute is used to make a fort at Gathering of the Shell Lovers, an annual beach gathering of community, co-hosted with artist Hanan Sharifa