Gestures (1974)

Assuming roles of both performer and director in "Gestures", Wilke explores her own face as artistic material. Whether kneading her skin into misshapen contortions or enacting stereotypical poses, she stages a fluid, continuous sequence of actions in front of the camera. Her performance calls attention to and deconstructs familiar representations of women, as well as encourages the viewer's personal or cultural associations with these gestures while also reclaiming agency over such depictions as her own.