Muscle Mary
2022
Performance to Camera
Muscle Mary, 2022, performance to camera. Filmed by Alex Davis
Muscle Mary explores queer histories, bringing them into the contemporary culture of bodybuilding and fitness through the artist being a 'gay bodybuilder'. The artist performs queer interventions in the landscape dressed in a wool costume, which overtime becomes functionless to the body. Filmed in Romney Marsh, the area has a rich LGBTQ+ history and artistic connections such as Derek Jarman, Henry James and Edward Burra. This piece is a response to their queer afterwardness they left and growing as a queer artist. Muscle Mary in general terms means: 'a gay man who has prominent, well-developed muscles'
This work was made possible with the Reginite Artist Development bursary funded residency with Home Live Art, Hastings.
Press links to Jake talking about his Muscle Mary Piece:
Into That World, Inverted a queer road trip podcast featuring LGBTQ+ creatives. Presented by Dr. Diarmund Hester and Holly James Johnson, produced by David Barmwell Jake is featured in episode 5, ProspectCottage, in which he talks about queerness and nature in relation to performance art. You can listen on Spotify and Apple.