Cairus Larsen

Licking Boundaries and the Rehabilitation of Touch

I fix myself with burns and stitches. My work is a product of the relationships and interactions in my life. By turning memories into spectacle, I create a catalyst that discusses the discomfort of touch. This work masquerades as a series of seemingly misguided attempts to connect with people, all the while deliberately forcing growth, leading to self-reflection, self-awareness, and openness. The sense of frankness and folly, almost reminiscent of youth, often conceals the works’ deeper, and at times, darker meanings.

Sewing until my fingers are swollen and blistered. Quiet violence laced with a bit of humor joins, as a way to confront my own fragility as a person. The feelings of only ever wanting to be equal with other people manifest, by taking control of the objects around me, to fill the void left by relationships. I repeatedly switch between meditative, therapeutic, and self-punishment-like behavior, to create rituals that speak to unseen labor and tenderness in my past. I combine found and fabricated in uncanny intimacies. I’m a skill whore by nature, meaning I am a process-based artist and not committed to just one material, or technique. I lessen the stigmas of contemporary art by confronting the viewer with familiar lower-case objects (objects found at the Goodwill, and other easily attainable material) to encourage touch.

By using touch, the work opens a dialogue about contemporary femininity, consent, and power. I pervert expectations to blur the boundaries between public and private, inviting further reflection.

Advisers/Committee