Alexi Marshall
73 1/4 x 37 3/4 in.
Further images
Part of a diptych with two human figures, In In a Bind the artist reflects on how the eel was used as currency in the Middle Ages, and on the commodification of our bodies under capitalism. You could pay your rent with eels in the Middle Ages – 10 eels pierced on a stick was called a bind, which inspired the title of the piece. This piercing reminded the artist of the inescapable way our bodies, lives, and souls (if you think about the eel as a soul) are corrupted and oppressed by capitalism. This thought reminded Marshall of the work of feminist scholar Silvia Federici, which has a connection to the mandrake and witchcraft. In the piece, gyotaku (ancient Japanese art of fish printing) eels pierce certain energy points on the body. The mouthless figures are a homage to the Cuban large-scale printmaker Belkis Ayon.
