Like Thunder [video]

Like thunder translated quite well to video. I had the fortune of being able to film during an actual thunderstorm. Here is the final video:

Like Thunder

My third performance was inspired by women. I took cues from the work of Kate Gilmore, Joan Jonas, Marina Abramovic and slam poet Dominique Christina. I was also inspired by Jessica and Madison's work in the class. I wanted to do something that would speak to an experience in my life that I knew many women my age would share.

Once a month most women bleed. For many, it's a mystery when it will start, often leaving one unprepared. The stigma of seeing a woman's blood is still held strong by our society. There is shame and fear often associated with periods, especially for young girls. My performance was a story that has played out in my life too many times. I wake up covered in my own blood and rush to wash it away. 

At first I wanted to use a very metallic, grating sound to contrast with me washing away the blood. I settled on thunder instead because I wanted the audience to hear the storm in my mind. I liked the comment that was made of how the thunder was rolling in like everything that was coming for the girl as she became a woman. 

I also had the idea to create a mask for this performance. With the short time frame, I decided to not attempt this. Perhaps in a later version of this I would try out using a mask. 

I will post more on this when I finish my video recreation. 

Train/Niart

Act I

I went on a walk last Saturday. I found my way to the train bridge by the football field. I sat on the bridge and read a book. As I was reading a train came along. I laughed out loud when I saw that it was carrying about twenty brand new John Deere tractors. I sat back and listened to the rattling of the rails and the rush of the wind. As the engine passed under the bridge it brought a great wave of heat. 

I started reading the Fluxus workbook at bit later and found the performance "Symphony No. 6 Fluxversion 2." It said to arrange or discover an event, score and realize it. I had just discovered the event of the train, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to build off of that. 

Act II

I asked Benjamin to collaborate with me. We decided to return to the bridge and record the sound of a train passing. We sat and recorded until we couldn't hear the train any more.

 

Act III

We sat across from each other and played the train sound forward through my speaker and backwards through Benjamin's. Staying present with him in the moment was surprisingly easy for me. I'm not afraid of making and maintaining eye contact with people. I have a feeling I could do it for a long time. 

I thought our performance went well. I'm not sure that the signs were needed. I think the performance would have worked just as well without them. If we were to re-perform this I would have a more solid ending planned and use a light that sits on the floor that would illuminate the performers equally.   

Marina Abramovic

Marina Abramovic has been super influential in the performance art world for 40 years and will continue to be for some time I imagine. Here are some videos of her work and just her, she is super intelligent and fun to watch and listen to.

 

 

She also worked with Lady Gaga for ARTPOP

 

 

 

I would highly recommend her documentary, The Artist is Present, for further viewing as well.

17 Oranges

 

 My idea for this piece was to use these oranges in a familiar but uncomfortable way. My concept evolved from just peeling them, to peeling then throwing them off the table, to finally peeling and smashing them. I didn't rehearse this piece, so I adapted to what was happening as I performed it. As I began to peel the first orange it tore in half. I decided to roll with that and began half peeling, half tearing the oranges apart and squeezing them onto the table. My hands got wet and slippery from the juices as the performance went on, which made it progressively harder. I knew that I wanted a serious, detached demeanor. I didn't want my face to pull focus away from the actions I was performing. Through theatre and especially puppetry I have learned how to control my body and facial expression, which was very useful in this performance. Overall I am pleased with this performance. I think the audience got what I wanted them to: pleasure and discomfort.

Hello. This is your captain speaking. We are looking at some turbulence coming up so I'm going to turn on the fasten seat belts sign. When we land we will be exploring the wild world of performance art. The local time is 6:37 pm and it is a balmy 72 degrees.