Liz Lester
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Adrenaline Series
Being a competitive athlete throughout my life I have experienced the stress and strain it puts on my body. Athletes push their bodies to the limit all the time. One amazing chemical process in our bodies I have always been interested in is an adrenalin rush. In response to this I have been making sculptures and performances which engage with the physical and ritualistic processes the body undergoes not only for athletes but for humans in their everyday life. I have been focusing on the facial expressions while the body is pushed to euphoria. A face can capture fatigue, pain, focus, excitement and relief; all the emotions of a race. I want the audience to be educated on the feelings experienced not only during exercise but in the ritualistic processes of life. I want the audience to understand the pain and pleasure involved. The expressions are very ambiguous. It is not quite certain whether the protagonist is exerting themselves during exercise, climaxing during sexual orgasm or experiencing a sense of rapture at a rock concert. Anyone can tap into their own memories where they have been experienced pain, pleasure and adrenalin.