The artist collective Daffodil was founded in Atlanta Georgia in the winter of 1989-90 by a group of eight homeless adolescents, ranging in age from thirteen to nineteen. It began as an attractive housing option for their group; The Georgia Environmental Project sponsored a six story art gallery called the Earth Factory in order to raise funds for the Georgia Environmental Project, and the members of what would later be called Daffodil obtained use of a room in the gallery, and took jobs as night security. This group consisted of Cat, MJording, KM Harker, MR Baker, JR Roach, TL Man, Schade, and S Rainey. New members were soon added: Baz, C.A. Brannon, L. Lee, and V. Hughes. Some associates provided material and executive aid, most notable were the contributions of J Brink, CME, SBE III, S Mattson, and DH Lyons.

Early Performances consisted of an admixture of philosophies, art styles, and techniques that were informed by a lifestyle that was undeniably modern, and urban, but unconsciously tribal: ritualized torture and violent contortion as dance, hallucinogenic ceremonies, pseudo-religion, social criticism, industrial noise music, and semi-coherent rants on a range of socio-political topics. The earliest performances were unstructured, improvisational, and generally highly confrontational in tone.

Their first series of installations and performances ran for seven weeks, consisting for them of roughly nine shows per weekend. During this period they established a semi-uniform and androgynous appearance by covering themselves in vivid paint and wearing loincloths. They typically created an elaborate demarcation of paint and scavenged chain inside which some members would dramatically harm others, in turns or in groups, while generating amplified series of rhythmic and atonal arrangements, consisting of sequenced analog oscillators and harsh repetitive growling intended to hypnotize the performers. In addition to their painted demarcations they used industrial materials that they scavenged from around the city streets, buildings, and construction sites, juxtaposing them with animal bones, kudzu, and other natural materials, to create vignettes or stages.

In order to minimize the potential for internal discord, there were regular meetings at which the members of the collective would list what forms of stress they were personally willing to endure and inflict. These included: being tied to a small metal folding chair or bound on the floor, being burned in specific areas with knives or other small metal implements that had been heated over flame, being beaten with heavy ropes or leather braids, and crucifixion.

Audience members frequently entered the demarcated areas and submitted themselves to physical punishment. Others interfered verbally or physically with the performances, expressing extreme objection. Blurring the line further, performers would interact directly with spectators, using exaggerated movements and phrases to suggest both violently confrontational and convivially sentimental attitudes, sometimes simultaneously.

Nine of the members of the collective shared a small apartment until shortly after the Earth Factory's run was complete; after eviction they dispersed into various strategies for street survival, continuing to perform at small galleries and music venues. Five of the original members left Atlanta in frustration with its economy and paucity of cultural events and venues, and the rest shifted to an internalized paradigm, making contributions various literary, musical, and conceptual projects. Its membership changed greatly over a short period of time, and most had been able to maintain stable homes.

In 1992, an electrical and mechanical artist named Baz persuaded the group to resume live performances. They began performing at outdoor events such as festivals and New techniques and themes were developed, and in summer of 1993 their series of phantasmagoric plays Trash Heap Mutants was undertaken. It consisted of five chapters. Following this, in September they performed Vertebrae.

In 1994, their group had grown to about twenty five collaborating artists and twenty associates. Their main project that year was called Tattoo Baby, which, though it's members were unfamiliar with the form at the time, strongly resembled a choreography of butoh dances. It attacked religion, the medical industry, interpersonal relationships, and other core elements of late twentieth century technological civilization.

Members of this group went on to perform with other reactionary groups such as Genitorturers, Survival Research Laboratories, and Vomit Thrower, the Dribbling Hermits, the Extra Action Marching Band, and Worm's Union.