Made in her image

By Robert Winters

Juliana Pivato, a Studio Arts student, did a performance show last April 15 at the VAV Gallery as part of a week-long series of performance art pieces, called Look Ma, No Hands!

The performance art symposium had two guest co-curators, Becky Ip and Anna Sprague, both Interdisciplinary Studies students, and had as its theme “art as a verb, with the emphasis on the gesture.”

Juliana's performance piece involved interacting with a doll replica of herself made of cotton, pillows and real hair. The doll was made in her image, using her exact measurements. Juliana sang to the doll to try to awake her emotions.

This is a reflection of a therapy technique known as psychomotor patterning, a discredited technique used to treat brain-damaged people. This art piece had a personal dimension.

Juliana's sister is severely disabled and underwent patterning therapy that included sensory stimulation.