Whitney Biennial 2017

Floor 6

Born 1989 in Dallas, TX
Lives in Roswell, NM

In the series Triggers, the artist known as Puppies Puppies focuses our attention on the mechanism that initiates the firing sequence of a gun. The works comment on the prevalence of gun violence both in the United States and in the media; each is the last remaining piece of a gun that has been destroyed at the request of the artist. The triggers also call to mind the notion of a “trigger warning”—a notice often given at the beginning of an artwork or performance to alert viewers to content that may prove inflammatory or disturbing to individuals who have had traumatic experiences.

Liberty (Liberté) is a performance realized at different times by Puppies Puppies, a performer of their choosing, or even a mannequin. The work references street performers, including the peddlers in costume who sell photo opportunities to tourists in New York. For the Biennial, Puppies Puppies has staged a re-presentation of these performances, which are often done by men dressed as the Statue of Liberty; the result can be seen as a sculpture or as a drag performance—or both.