performance 2 of 3
'The Tornadoes'
NAS Graduation Show, October 2007
filmed by Daniel Havas
ft. Tara Cook, Stephanie Zeritis
A different context here t0 my last post, but still teetering on the rebellious cause with this one at my National Art School (NAS) graduation show. This piece was conceived about six days before, when the studio work l had made during my final year in the Printmaking department proved to be a bit too difficult to exhibit within the small exhibiting confines of such a large-scale group show. Not wanting to present some other smaller pieces for the important showcase, the possibility of a performance was suggested from my lecturers which l quickly confirmed and slapped together. Despite the quick pace of operations, this performance remains one of my favourites and for me has the most solid building blocks for constructing where to go from here.
At a time when my performances were already (and would continue to be) informed by use of endurance and stressful, improvised, sometimes illegal conditions to reach that wits end and expose whatever truths needed exercising; l was at this time also writing heavily as well as listening to a lot of 60's proper and proto-Wall of Sound; Joe Meek and Phil Spector etc (the name of the performance was one of Meek's studio-created bands that performed one of his most accomplished hits; 'Telstar') with all these different elements involved, somehow it resulted in the construction of a very mechanical performance that incorporated music and poetry in a continuous loop sustained by physical stamina. This piece was the case of endurance powering towards a foreseeable outcome, which l think was a relief at the time when many times before the premise (either relying on endurance or not) had been to enter a space, perform an action and then see what happens..
Sydney now Melbourne artist Tara Cook helped out with this one by writing my current poems on the whiteboard in the background while my then-girlfriend's younger sister played music as l powered the metaphorical engine that sustained the work of my two assistants; each time l stopped rowing, the music would stop and the poetry would cease, as l started again; likewise the music and writing continued once more; naturally the target was to have my series of poems l supplied Tara complete by the time the evening was through; approximately two and half hours from the opening of the exhibition, l think l recall it being a success.
I've always viewed this piece as a much more progressive work that had a constructive process with a controllable outcome that relied more on the intensity to complete a task rather than to prove something to myself or others in a more shock-tactic way. While the task of writing the poetry had required mental stamina, the conditions during writing were sombre and peaceful; that was turned on it's head for this piece which required a lot of physical effort in a very exposed environment, but by presenting the poems on the white board for the audience to read, had the same purpose as the poems being written in the first place; to be shared and read. I continue to analyse this performance with how it could lend itself to more mature refined performances in the future and even with the music and live performance element stepped up which l'm easily capable of organising today.
Jim S
NAS Graduation Show, October 2007
filmed by Daniel Havas
ft. Tara Cook, Stephanie Zeritis
A different context here t0 my last post, but still teetering on the rebellious cause with this one at my National Art School (NAS) graduation show. This piece was conceived about six days before, when the studio work l had made during my final year in the Printmaking department proved to be a bit too difficult to exhibit within the small exhibiting confines of such a large-scale group show. Not wanting to present some other smaller pieces for the important showcase, the possibility of a performance was suggested from my lecturers which l quickly confirmed and slapped together. Despite the quick pace of operations, this performance remains one of my favourites and for me has the most solid building blocks for constructing where to go from here.
At a time when my performances were already (and would continue to be) informed by use of endurance and stressful, improvised, sometimes illegal conditions to reach that wits end and expose whatever truths needed exercising; l was at this time also writing heavily as well as listening to a lot of 60's proper and proto-Wall of Sound; Joe Meek and Phil Spector etc (the name of the performance was one of Meek's studio-created bands that performed one of his most accomplished hits; 'Telstar') with all these different elements involved, somehow it resulted in the construction of a very mechanical performance that incorporated music and poetry in a continuous loop sustained by physical stamina. This piece was the case of endurance powering towards a foreseeable outcome, which l think was a relief at the time when many times before the premise (either relying on endurance or not) had been to enter a space, perform an action and then see what happens..
Sydney now Melbourne artist Tara Cook helped out with this one by writing my current poems on the whiteboard in the background while my then-girlfriend's younger sister played music as l powered the metaphorical engine that sustained the work of my two assistants; each time l stopped rowing, the music would stop and the poetry would cease, as l started again; likewise the music and writing continued once more; naturally the target was to have my series of poems l supplied Tara complete by the time the evening was through; approximately two and half hours from the opening of the exhibition, l think l recall it being a success.
I've always viewed this piece as a much more progressive work that had a constructive process with a controllable outcome that relied more on the intensity to complete a task rather than to prove something to myself or others in a more shock-tactic way. While the task of writing the poetry had required mental stamina, the conditions during writing were sombre and peaceful; that was turned on it's head for this piece which required a lot of physical effort in a very exposed environment, but by presenting the poems on the white board for the audience to read, had the same purpose as the poems being written in the first place; to be shared and read. I continue to analyse this performance with how it could lend itself to more mature refined performances in the future and even with the music and live performance element stepped up which l'm easily capable of organising today.
Jim S
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