Upon death, the village sin-eater was summoned by the grieving family to consume bread or food that had been placed on the deceased's chest. This ingestion was thought to transfer the sins of the dead to the eater. For this act the sin-eater received the meal and a pittance, as well as the permanent status of an undesirable. Rejected for resorting to this occupation, the sin-eater became the village scapegoat.
I have no doubt that the villagers believed they could sense depravity in the very presence of the sin-eater, but wonder, if a believer, could the eater in fact feel the palpable weight of the transaction?
With or without the social repercussions or tangible burden, it is this possibility of connection and exchange that I utilize in my work; the idea that when we encounter someone or something, that interaction informs us, and we become an embodiment not only of our own experiences, but also of elements of every one we engage. Through glance, action, gesture, utterance, and touch, my work becomes an apparatus for projection and transference, a conduit for exchange. Through the work I long to absorb every body's thoughts, emotions, neuroses, and shame. And with it I give my own away.
