performance artist lilly mcelroy: “i throw myself at men.”

Lilly McElroy throws herself at men… in bars, in restaurants, in museums. The gesture demonstrates the difficulty in connecting with others, quite literally, and the awkwardness, humor, and sadness that often ensue. The first few images are comedic, even farcical, but there’s some semblance of poignancy; connecting with others is a difficult and clumsy act in which we all engage, and the desire to connect is inherent. We miss each other; we fall; sometimes we catch. The latter images illustrate the dark (even cruel) side of missed connections- how frequently we ignore each other, often in times of great need. As for subtlety, well, it’s never done much for me nor I for it.