The Internet: IRL ( I was born in the year 2000), 2019, a 1999 Hasbro Furby, teddy bear spine, my mom’s decapitated Beanie Baby collection, screen prints of childhood movies and games, assorted furs and fabrics, stuffing, beads, sequins, gems, embroidered Lisa Frank inspired appliques, glitter, acrylic paint, and jewelry from elementary and middle school. 5 ft, 4 in x 1 ft
The Internet IRL (I was born in the year 2000) is the physical manifestation of my experience growing up in the 2000s as a young girl exploring her femininity virtually and in reality. The fusion of a 1999 Hasbro Furby with representations of my adolescence such as Beanie Babies, Disney Channel original movies, and Pokémon cards, resulted in a Lisa Frank, maximalist fever dream. This piece fulfills a childhood desire for a creative process undisturbed from patriarchal pressures while simultaneously embraced by the nostalgic aesthetic of internet culture. The “long furby” was born and continues to live on the internet for the same reason little girls explore extravagant interests in femininity: pleasure. For women to authentically and joyfully exist in any manner, regardless of gendered expression, is a direct threat to the patriarchy. The Internet IRL (I was born in the year 2000) celebrates the type of kaleidoscopic femininity often repressed into girlhood memory due to sexist humiliation.
