Recently, I have been selling myself to graduate schools and struggling with the concept of 'coming into myself' or 'being comfortable in my own skin'. The combination of the two has been an interesting and emotional experience that I responded too with the performance entitled, 'Hey, check me out I'm awesome!'
This project consisted of a silkscreened costume of myself, a homemade sign, and a wicked dance playlist. I asked a group of local artists to observe the performance and document it with anything they wanted; they used pen and paper, digital SLR's, crappy little cameras, iphones, ect. Each participant received a cd with the playlist I was listening too so that they could follow along. The cd also acted as the time element in the performance, demarcating when I would start and stop. For the actual performance I danced on a busy street corner for an hour in costume with my sign in the fashion of a street promoter.
'Hey, check me out I'm awesome!' enabled me a tangible reaction to the confusing process of self discovery. The result of which has lead me to be comfortable with the fact that 'I'm an Interesting Person, and People Like Me'--which is going to be the title of my next performance.
What do you guys think?
10 comments:
Jamie,
I am actually, and surprisingly?, more interested in the collaborative documentation than in the rite of passage aspect. I think the images are an interesting compiling of mediums and just so strange! That figure in McDonalds parking lot, alone, downcast and in costume, says more to me than your statement of struggling with the concept of self.
In other words, I think you could describe the process, as you did in the 3rd paragraph here on Nesbit, and exclude the 1st.
Is the playlist important to the performance? Should we know what you were listening to?
Elly,
thanks for your input, why do you feel it isn't important? or is it just because you know me or you feel it wouldn't be important to the piece as a whole.
the music on the playlist itself isn't important to readers. the cd was mainly for the participants and also to keep time.
thanks again for your comments.
J, my heart and my love,
Note that I did not say those emotional and personal bits are not important to the piece; rather, I feel they are already embedded within the performance as a whole. To me, your words say what I have already felt and I would rather feel the piece, decipher what that lonesome figure is doing, than be told. Perhaps it is a matter or refining the text though if you prefer to state the emotional motivation behind the active creation.
How did it feel, doing it? (just a personal question!!)
El,
Well first off I am not really sure how to present the thing so that was the motivation behind just talking about the why.
I know that you are interested in the why because you are my friend and are interested in me, but I liked that it seems that artistically you are more interested in the how- how I did this, how did it feel... the practicalities.
How do you think I should present something like this piece? Do I give any explanation? It sounds as though I should talk about how I did it then just let it be.
thanks el.
J, I am actually thinking about that work of Murray and Megan's that was presented at Whittier College (was it?) with the photo and then the sound documentation within the installed structure. I was attracted by the mystery if it, their resolve to give us the final product and allow the rest to fly around the room loosely. In this the piece was empowered.
I am going to let the others answer the presentation-opinion question. Ladies?
ahh yes the audio. the audio for this piece was recored by a lame little camera where you can actually hear the street cars, my sound track as well as my muffled screams for love. good idea.
Good thoughts and points both of you. I was thinking along elly's lines before I even opened the comment box......the idea of coming to terms with yourself etc..... seems too simplistic.....with no further exploration for the viewer to take on and grapple with. if i didn't know you would i care? i think i could care only insomuch as i know i would be terrified of dancing along in a mcdonald's parking lot.
though on the other hand 'coming into oneself' is an extremely important topic-everyone goes through it-we are experiencing it now and i think older folks do remember that time in their life yet they trivialize it or brush past it when talking about their twenties.....
i am definitely with elly that what the other artist's did in response is important to the piece as a whole-that carries it further in that during this time in life we are still a part of our family's identity, while trying to grapple with what our friends, coworkers, strangers etc.... believe and how do we personally, everyday, live it out and make it a part of our own skin/fabric?
also, i think i am okay not knowing what the music was-perhaps just the length of each song would be interesting-
lastly, and then i will let you comment so we can further discuss, but i am not sure about the titles-i can tell they are very you but perhaps a little too sarcastic/ironic?
i am impressed.
thanks for your comments syd.
ok after your and elly's thoughts I will defiantly rework my writing...I feel that because it is a performance and the viewers (viewers like you..hehe...) will never get to experience it the way it was therefore I had to explain a bit, but perhaps not.
syd what do you think about the presentation element? and lastly would it be bad if the titles were intentional sarcastic?
thanks again for your thoughts.
okay-i am glad to hear the sarcasm is intentional-wanted to make sure. ...though your other titles are more solemn-intentional-does that matter?
presentation is tricky....what about a video/slide loop with the images going as long as each individual song.....first thing that popped into my head-should probably ignore-i am running on 2 hours of sleep.......i will continute to think.....what if you made it only viewable via a blog or facebook? that is the way we communicate these days........???
hope these thoughts help.......if you have any other specific questions please ask-and can we see any more images?
yeah I have some video that I will try and get up on here eventually.
thanks syd and get some sleep.
Post a Comment