There’s A Dog In My House And Some Dogs In My Head
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Date
2021
Authors
Bodenhamer, Devon
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
I create installations that use humor and the visual language of the domestic space to
disarm and analyze emotional discomfort in order to create a more whole sense of self. The
work invites those who choose to participate to consider themselves in a similar manner and to
empathise with the forms that populate the installation. I’ve included dogs, the home, and
mothers as subjects. Not meant to be a form of therapy, the work also connects to the social
politics of the domestic space, gender roles, and our partnership with animal companions.
My practice draws comparisons between domestic space and mental space, as they are
both iterations of where and how people live. I’m particularly interested in how both require
upkeep and maintenance, in order to be comfortably habitable. This is portrayed through the
idea of the carpet, a material that requires constant vacuuming but still retains bits and pieces of
all that have lived on top of it: it serves as body, record-keeper, and comfort object. There are
other comfort objects in my work, such as pillows and dog imagery, that are meant to disarm
emotional discomfort. Dogs are particularly important to this, as petting dogs has been shown to
reduce stress levels. They also serve as witnesses to all that happens within the home. Imagery
that is suggestive of a mother figure relates back to maintenance, as the mother fills the role of
caretaker, housekeeper, and child rearer in a society that revolves around a patriarchal power
structure. The beige color palette refers to domestic spaces, as well as a neutral “non-color” that
is impartial to that which populates the home. I relate this to the desire to simply analyze, rather
than extinguish, emotional discomfort in my work.
I am hopeful that my work can instill a sense of kindness and understanding in those that
choose to participate with it. I want folks to know that they are not alone in feeling discomfort,
especially during the time of a global pandemic, civil unrest, and a contentious upcoming
presidential election. The use of domestic objects, like carpet and pillows, is very purposeful and
meant to make participants feel welcome upon entering the installation. This is especially
important in a gallery setting, as I (and many others) find them to be sterile, uncomfortable, and
intimidating. I also employ a sense of humor through crude drawings, using materials that were
excreted from my dog, and making stuffed forms with floppy limbs. Humor is incredibly important
to my work, as it is a defense mechanism and a tool used to disarm, making discomfort more
approachable and easier to analyze.
Description
14 pages