Thanks for getting back to me.

What the piece was about:

I chose a goat to play off the idea of the sacrificial goat or the scapegoat. I wanted to use an animal that has been historically positioned as expendable in the interests of the majority’s well being. The goat has been used as the object of blame to maintain our innocence – it is what we cast off into the dessert to ensure our continued prosperity, to ensure that the status quo for those with privilege is maintained. My responsibility that night was to protect the goat – to offer the goat my love in the face of disapproval and ridicule. In a sense the goat can stand in for all of us who have been marginalized on the basis of identity or for how we choose to love – queers, people of colour, women, the disabled, the poor. I illicit the disgust of the viewer because I have chosen to give my love to the wrong ‘object.’ The general public consensus is that a dead goat is not an appropriate lover. It is so vial it is not even to be looked at – here we can think of the homeless or even female genitalia. And it is the wrong love just as queer or interracial love continues to be an inappropriate form of affection and care within certain less socially progressive circles. The piece was an exploration of love’s limits – I wanted to see how far love might go.

Cheers, Jesika Joy

My name is Jesika Joy and I am the woman with the goat. I was wondering if you might be able to post my name? Also, if you have any footage I would love it if you could share.

Thanks, Jesika