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Ivy Hazard
I am a fashion force of nature. Living & breathing on unceded Coast Salish territory, I work to create art thoughtfully with others around me.
Audio Description of Body of Work
Artist Biography
Most of my looks are handmade monsters for the ‘Bizarre’ category in my Ballroom community. Balls are a type of queer culture party with competitive categories, and walking Bizarre means you are showing off a downright strange outfit. My style of costume balances between playful & spooky as I create characters to walk through complicated emotions.
My ongoing life with long covid has been woven into my more recent pieces, adding another layer to everything. I have been a supporter of disability art & activism for several years, because I believe it is the grounds for understanding each other’s experiences & fighting for a better world. I’m just now beginning to create work that shows my own time being disabled. The more I admit to myself & make it a part of my work, the easier things flow.
Artist Statement
Death Trench (2022) was made as part of the 'four horses' series exploring the various kinds of apocalypse we are surrounded by. This look is aligned with the water, and uses anchor rope to tie disparate materials together, exploring how we use the ocean as a dumping ground for just about anything we do not want. When worn, this mask is unbelievably heavy. Even if it can float when it reaches the water, the wearer's head will be pulled closer and closer to the water when not submerged. It is not meant to be worn for a long period of time, but it represents a great burden.
Tired Tired Tired (2022) is a look that is all about the feeling of a full head. Bike tires are tied around each other to create a labyrinth of a mask that defies explanation. Is it a squid, a fly, a frog? It looks a bit like a brain, but the shape is mismatched & spilling out. I often feel like my head is going to burst from the pain of neuroinflammation, so this represents that feeling of messiness and overwhelm.
