Emotional Masochist

Video Performance, 00:02:58
2021

"Emotional Masochist" is a video performance adopting the form of a music video, in which the artist performs an a cappella version of "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" from the musical Grease. Through an alter ego wearing a wedding dress combined with elements of BDSM aesthetics, the work reflects on the Madonna–whore dichotomy and the conflicting expectations placed on women’s sexuality. The work considers the position of women within contemporary dating culture as well as traditional models of romantic relationships, looking at how both are often structured around male desire. The emotional masochist exists within this tension between different models of intimacy, where the possibilities available to women are influenced by the social frameworks surrounding romantic relationships.