Performance date: Saturday, October 10, 2015, 4:00 P.M.

Wilmer Wilson IV (b. 1989, Richmond, Virginia) is recognized internationally for his investigations of race. As he slowly covers his body with everyday objects that adhere to his skin, he asks us to think about the historic meanings of black skin in the United States.





Portrait with Hydrogen Peroxide Strips is a performance and installation in which I will cover my entire body in textured hydrogen peroxide strips, commonly used for teeth whitening. It is directly related to the creative research undertaken in my Camouflage and Armor, Wholesale, and Henry "Box" Brown: FOREVER bodies of work, in which functional, everyday stickers became second skins around my body. These meditations on skin are visually arresting, creating dense patterns of repeated, identifiable symbols.


Images:
Henry Box Brown: FOREVER Day 3: Congress 2012
©Wilmer Wilson IV, courtesy CONNERSMITH

Self-Portrait as a Model Citizen, 2012
©Wilmer Wilson IV, courtesy CONNERSMITH