Money Shots
Remnants, Hazmat- Museum of Contemporary Art
Tucson, Arizona

“There are those who believe that the come shot, or, as some refer to it, ‘the money shot.’ is the most important element in the movie and that everything else (if necessary) should be sacrificed at its expense.”
              -Stephen Ziplow,
               The Film Maker’s Guide to Pornography

Using props from two previous performances around issues of the body and its fluids, Ellsworth attempts to reclaim an image of herself that was distributed for promotional purposes in 1996. The image of her face was perceived as stock for a come shot. The same year, Ellsworth was the target for a wad of spit from a random subway rider in New York City. She often wonders which is more degrading. Is it the commentary from heterosexual men about the imagined come shot on her face (which is a reflection from sequins) or the live wad of spit (smelling like warm beer) landing directly between her eyes.