Jessica Pleyel : Standing To ( get ) her Against Guns
By Rebecca Olson
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I do not think that this project or any one thing can necessarily heal someone , but I do believe this project gives a space and a step towards healing . To be healed isn ’ t the goal — but rather , to be able to live life fully . — Jessica Pleyel
All morning , the women have been getting to know each other , painting their nails , eating breakfast . Soon , the destruction will begin .
A black wax assault rifle is brought out and set on a table , and the women choose their weapons : clothes iron , hair straightener , waffle maker , high-heeled shoe . They each have their moment with the tool and with the gun . Pounding and pressing , they watch it disintegrate with heat and pressure , until the only thing that remains is a black slickness . A memory of a violence , past .
This interactive art experience is the brainchild of Midwestern-based performance artist
Jessica Pleyel , who calls this a meeting / melting / mending . The gatherings fall into the universe of Pleyel ’ s
To ( get ) her project , a collaborative performance art piece in which women from a variety of backgrounds use commonplace domestic objects to dismantle wax guns through cathartic acts of destruction .
To ( get ) her seeks to create an empowering experience for its participants , while simultaneously raising awareness about gun violence against women . The project ’ s clever name communicates this sense of unity and understanding — while also alluding to the threat of danger .
“ One meaning of To ( get ) her is the reality of violence against women . In this case , to be caught or held in a nonconsensual way . This is a constant fear and an unfortunate lived reality for many women , including those who have been a part of the project ,” explains Pleyel .
“ Another meaning of the title is the act of understanding each other — to ‘ get ’ someone ,” she continues . “ Through this project , we are all gaining a fuller picture of each other and can create community based on a foundation of that shared understanding .”
Since the first meeting / melting / mending , there have been six iterations of To ( get ) her which have taken place in Iowa City , Iowa and Tacoma , Washington . How the project works and what it looks like changes from iteration to iteration , though the central themes of each performance — catharsis , collaboration , and connection — remain the same .
Pleyel believes that in everyday life , women are often not given a safe container for anger . Being able to let out aggression , sadness , and frustration on an inanimate object , she says , can be a helpful means of catharsis . The project is not intended to take the place of other means of trauma care , but rather , to create a safe place to confront anger , hurt , and sadness .
The idea for this project came out of Pleyel ’ s personal experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual violence . She found that she was able to connect with other women about her experiences whenever she shared that part of her story through art , and wanted other women to have the same opportunity .
“ So many women would come up to me after they ’ d seen my autobiographic work and tell me how they connected with me on that . It made me want to create a space for women to come together and share our stories ,” she says .
The first iteration of To ( get ) her was just that .
“ It was this beautiful , kinetic morning in October and twenty-six women showed up to paint our nails and melt wax assault rifles ,” she laughs . “ It was awesome .”
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