Nayland Blake is an artist that i came across last session and was immediatly intrigued by his work. He has an african-american father and caucasian mother and he himself looks more white than bi-racial, he is also an overweight gay man, and his works display his journeys through discovering his identity and how he is identified. 'Gorge' is an incredible work in which Blake in restrained to a chair and force fed an array of foods for an hour by a black man stripped to his waist, the work evokes a strong sense of nurturing and torture as Blake is a willing participant yet is obviously in great discomfort. But the work that really stuck out for me is a piece called 'starting over' in which Blake wears a bunny suit that is filled with beans weighing the same amount as his lover whom stands off stage and calls out directions to Blake for the bunny hop. Blake can barely move from the weight of the suit yet still feebly tries to follow his lovers instructions. Once again the lines between care and punisment are blured, and the symbolism of trying to live up to someone elses expectations are powerfully displayed by the comical yet pathetic performance.
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