Rachelle Beaudoin (she/her/hers)
Pushing a Rope, 2019, 8:20
Performance
In the performance, “Pushing a Rope,” I pushed a large “battle rope," a weighted rope used for workouts, while reciting a list of tasks that I collected from women. This performance centered on the idea of the futility of pushing a rope but was also inspired by the imagery in Ethan Murrow’s drawing at the Currier Museum in New Hampshire, where the performance took place.
Prior to the performance, I contacted female friends and asked, “I need your input. I want to know more about invisible or emotional labor in your life. This doesn't have to be related to children. I think this can happen in any type of relationship and in many aspects of life. Is there something that you spend time on that is important but invisible?”
Ranging from "clip the dog's toenails," to "manage the 401K," the list of tasks varied and showed the pressures, stresses and events managed by the female participants.
In the piece, I pushed the rope, while reciting the submitted tasks and running back and forth before finally sitting on the floor, out of breath, to conclude the performance after 8 minutes and 20 seconds. This gesture highlights invisible labor and emotional labor or "life admin" that is often performed by women.
https://www.rachellebeaudoin.com/
@rachellebeaudoin
Pushing A Rope Tasks
-Pick up photos
-Baby proofing
-Benefit Strategies Solutions
-Call Consolidated Communications
-Dental procedure coverage
-Dead Subaru car insurance
-Order cord wood
-Swim lessons
-Girl Scouts
-Septic Cleaning
-Furnace Cleaning
-Oil change almost due
-Frequent flier miles /passwords
-Gifts for teachers
-Find a babysitter
-Thank you notes (Though I am not as good at it as I used to be)
-Halloween attire
-Clean/dry clothes
-Trimming the dogs nails
-Trimming the kids nails
-Water the plants
-Family Rituals
-Family rhythm
- Extra rice
-Stella likes guacamole but not avocado, Juniper likes avocado chunks or slices
-Stella likes oatmeal for breakfast, Juniper prefers cereal with milk
-Stella likes pesto sauce, Juniper prefers butter on pasta
-Arrive to her classroom between 8:25 and 8:40 (no earlier or later.)
-Shoe/sock alarm is at 7:54 to catch the 8:02 bus.
-Find a furry white vest
-When were the boy’s sheets changed?
-Shovel the chicken coop
-I need to make a list for when I am gone
-Clean out the straws with special little scrub cleaners
-What is child bored of -/+nutritional value = lunch
-Have Fun- If I actually wanted to do something fun by myself it would not be a trip to Target
-The baby slept through the night. No, no he didn’t. You did.
-At the grocery store at least three older women cheering him on and telling him how great a father he was for trying to soothe this baby. His only job was to stand there and hold our baby.
-$.25 for popcorn Friday
Remember (and reminding) all the family birthdays, anniversaries, etc.. (ex: grandparents, aunts, cousins, etc...)- selecting and sending and presents (if needed) otherwise scheduling a phone call.
-Knowing who’s clothes are who’s.
-How late are Kris and Chuck staying?
-Socially, he reports not having friends and not being particularly connected to his roommate. He mentioned he enjoyed playing chess and I actually reached out to student life.
-Are there additional supports for neurodiverse students?
-Baby’s social security card
-Clean that gunky stuff from the plastic thing under the dish rack
-Water test
-Upload documents to the portal
-Check for the dog sitter
-Pump
-ASQ