Venery :
ven·er·y1 /ˈvenərē/ noun
I.the art, act, or practice of hunting
II. the pursuit of or indulgence in sexual pleasure
‘Venery’ is a capsule collection of garments and fragmented poems, fixated on how past and present are tenuously linked through the body; the wounds and wonders of desire.
Saint Sebastian as a protector from plague in 17th century Europe reemerges as a homoerotic icon during the AIDS crisis. This collection hinges on these two counterpoints, incorporating details from 17th century tailoring patterns as well as codes from the gay leather scene of the 1980’s & 90’s.
The idea of hunting as an act that sustains and destroys pulsed through me while working on this collection. How do love, sex, and connection, become sport or escape? How many ways can one person hunger? The poetry in this collection examines decay between the speaker and a lover, navigating desire as something that both feeds and fails.
After the hunt, what then?
