Over the last month, while Taft Gardens was closed to the public, we hosted our Invitational Artist-in-Residence, Shana Moulton.
A UCSB professor and media artist, Moulton examines bodily and spiritual anxieties in live performances, single-channel videos, and multi-channel video installations. These moving-image-works feature her alter-ego, Cynthia, searching for purpose and fulfillment through home decor, cosmetic rituals, and communing with nature. Tortured by her social isolation and personal idiosyncrasies, she finds temporary release in a parallel universe of companionship inhabited by animated objects, self-help paraphernalia, and pop-cultural gurus.
However vibrant and whimsical the collision of spirituality, pop culture, and consumerism are, darker themes of escapism, uncertainty, and isolation pervade each video and performance. Journeys into Cynthia’s subconscious often yield only more personal crisis, channeling the neuroses and disembodiment of the technology-enhanced, post-spiritual world.
While at Taft, Moulton shot video in the gardens that will be featured in upcoming exhibitions in New York and Europe, as well as a new video-performance piece that she will debut at Taft’s Art in Nature fundraiser on May 6th, 2023.
Portrait: Marc Alt @marcaltphoto
Graphics: Louise Sandhaus @lulusandhaus