Lady-Ties for a Line Dance
2011
These tie-collars refer to attachable braids worn by Ellsworth's sister-wife performers: an evolving group of women with whom Ellsworth has performed in various national and international contexts since 2009. Referring specifically to the first group of sister-wife performers, each tie is monogrammed with a "s" for sister-wife and the initial of a performer's name. Like the Seer Bonnets, this work deals with the idea of ancestors - albeit here an artistic lineage rather than a familial one. Dressed in uniform prairie dresses, the sister-wives communicate desires and intentions to one another through gestures. Ellsworth is interested in homosocial dynamics within queer culture and polygamous communities.
