
Sophie Lisa Beresford
I Couldn't Bare a Machine to Wash Away What Was Left of Us,
2009
Single Channel HD Video (16:9)
Edition of 5 (+1 AP)
55cm | 21 5/8in
About this work
This film documents a poignant moment in the artist's life, her experience of loss and grief is reflected through her physical removal of the stain remaining after the ‘farewell’ intercourse with her ex-partner. This film prompts a meditation upon the emotional cycle we undergo to be able to healthily deal with and move on from traumatic experience. Although Beresford’s measures seem extreme, on greater reflection throwing used bed sheets into a washing machine and instantly erasing the remnants of an event or person seems to deny an embrace, acceptance and eventual transcendence from these experiences.