Brainless Baby Puppy Pig
Peter Cage
November 9th - December 15th, 2024
Closed Nov 30 & Dec 1

haul gallery is pleased to announce Brainless Baby Puppy Pig, an exhibition of new video works by artist Peter Cage. Cage’s new body of work explores the notion of “headspace” as it relates to both mental health and BDSM subcultures.

The concept of “headspace,” which colloquially means something like “frame of mind,” is most commonly used within mental health practices such as mindfulness meditation or hypnotherapy to describe a sort of Zen state of open receptivity. Here, “reaching headspace” is the process by which someone successfully quiets their usual flow of thoughts and focuses instead on the present moment, their own body, and their breathing.

Within kink practices, the term carries a similar meaning but with more specific manifestations depending on the scene or the social dynamics between partners. In a puppy-play scene, for example, a submissive partner might enjoy acting like a puppy—walking on all fours, licking, nuzzling, wagging their tail—and being treated like one—put on a leash, kept in a crate, fed meals from a bowl, and so forth. But just like entering a meditation, it can take time to enter “puppy headspace.” All of the human thoughts, assumptions, and obligations that structure our lives must be quieted to make room for the playful, eager, tactile physicality of a dog. Here, “entering headspace” may involve putting on specific gear, like a puppy hood, or easing into a scene slowly, like curling up on the floor to watch TV. 

Each scene may require slightly different headspace—becoming a rubber gimp chained in the basement takes somewhat different headspace than becoming a helpless baby happily soiling their diaper—but in all of these cases, the term captures a sort of blankness which facilitates both pleasure and healing. Brainless Baby Puppy Pig investigates how headspace operates across a range of kinks and mental health practices within Cage’s own life. This body of work makes the case that many behaviors and practices that may at first seem unsettling actually serve as pathways to healing and tranquility.