Pepper's Ghost 1: The Perfect Human, 2024, 76"h x 20"w x 30"l, steel, acrylic, tv, 1:04m
Photo credit: Joel Tsui @ArtArchival
This series of Pepper's Ghost sculptures addresses how external perceptions of a situation can be different from the truth of one's reality. The dance video is appropriated from Jorgen Leth’s experimental film “The Perfect Human,” about a seemingly happy couple and their superficial accomplishments. In the end, the couple separates and the last frame is the character, who Brace performs in the video, dining alone. In this video Brace plays with gender roles through the audio saying, “There he is, the perfect human, look at him, look at what he can do…” By performing the male role in the video Brace subverts gender stereotypes and performs the satirical “Perfect Human.”
Pepper’s Ghost (Green): Totality (detail), acrylic, steel, tv, 3:44m, 2024, 48” x 48” x 48”
Pepper’s Ghost (Blue): The Perfect Human, acrylic, steel, tv, 5:40m, 2024, 60” x 24” x 36”
Pepper’s Ghost (Blue): The Perfect Human (detail), acrylic, steel, tv, 5:40m, 2024, 60” x 24” x 36”
Maquette 1: Pepper’s Ghost: The Perfect Human, 9” h, 6” l, 3.5” w, 2024, Cell phone, welded steel, acrylic, cell phone charger, 1:04m looped
Photo credit: Joel Tsui @artarchival
Exhibition Poster with step-mom, Stacey Leigh Kemp
Pepper’s Ghost (Green): Totality (Bladderwort), acrylic, steel, tv, 3:44m, 2024, 48” x 48” x 48”
"In Search of the Miraculous" at 82 Parris Street explored themes of loss, transformation, and environmental conservation through five welded Pepper’s Ghost sculptures and a live performance. The exhibition referenced Patricia Brace’s personal grief, conservation work in Lake Arrowhead, Maine, and the aesthetics of amateur dance videos. The closing reception featured a roller skate dance activation, integrating movement with sculpture to create a dynamic, immersive experience..