Reading Diary - Performing Our Chakras

PERFORMING OUR CHAKRAS

“SHRINE: What Do You Worship?” was a twelve-day continuous living

installation at Chashama on Times Square.

I created a series of Shrines & Rituals – including the ritualizing of mundane

activities such as eating, bathing & sleeping.

Guest artists, as well as the general public, were invited to enter &

participate – giving their responses to the questions: “What Do You

Worship?” & “What Are Your Rituals?”

Images:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/114531261@N02/sets/72157639838898396/

Video - short documentation of installation:
http://youtu.be/Z_prY8zgMrA

Reading Diary - The World As Sculpture

THE WORLD AS SCULPTURE

I'm sharing something that might be a source of amusement!

 http://www.critical-theory.com/deleuze-guattari-biography/

Erik Koed – Sculpture and The Sculptural

What I find interesting in this essay is the idea of “sculpturality” as a quality.

The sculptural can be found in that which is not intended as sculpture – as with the effects of nature’s elements – on a landscape as one sweeping mass, or on individual objects of nature – like driftwood or weathered rock.

It is when this organic use of “sculpturality” is implemented by a sculptor in their work, that it carries the most appealing plasticity.

Koed briefly touches on the idea of the plastique – I wish he had expanded on this thought, as it is what I find to be the most tangible definition of the sculptural in sculpture. It suggests a dynamic force, a fluidity between sculpture and viewer, a connection with the plasticity in the mind of the viewer, which is thus shaped in turn by viewing the sculpture.

Plasticity also extends to the dynamic shaping of space itself – as an equal presence.

Koed quotes F David Martin’s idea of “enlivened space” – all are in relationship – object, space and viewer.

Anthony Gormley – Reflection

I find myself resonating strongly with Gormley’s delivery in this interview.

His ideas of being centered in the body, inhabiting the body, then creating a representation of that body which inhabits a space really make sense to me.

The fact that the marks from the mold are still present actually seems to give the piece a sense of living rawness, as if that sculpture-body itself possesses life.

I appreciate his distinction between the archetype and the individual / subjective.

His idea of the subjective is not an alienating one, it is representative of individuality and encourages the sense of individuality in the viewer.

Jean Baudrillard – Simulations

My thoughts on this are a little fragmented – however, I will do my best to communicate them!

In his comparison between the abstracted (and even the represented) to the simulated,  Baudrillard seems to be saying that abstraction and representation still give space and place to the REAL  (by describing it, or some quality of it) – whereas in a simulation, the direct copy leaves nowhere for the imagination to go in order to consider the qualities of the thing.

I find it interesting that this was written in the early 80s, well before the current virtual reality world where the lines between real and simulated are almost ignored altogether. Of course it is still addressed as a (maybe slightly outdated) ethical debate and there is still a sense that the simulated is not quite the real thing but there is a resigned acceptance of the fact.

Everything is considered as “some kind of real”.

And in the art world, the virtual or simulated has become it’s own medium.

Marcus & Saka – Assemblage

I feel like I need the “Assemblage For Dummies” guide!

As this is my first foray into the subject, this text is rather a weighty discussion to serve as an introduction. I get a sense from it about HOW assemblage is USED – however, I am still not at all clear as to exactly what it IS!

With the term being associated with the psychological / philosophical / political writings of Deleuze & Guattari as well as to describe a collage type of process deployed by many artists from the Dadaists onwards, it appears to have many applications.

Reading Diary - Double Lens

DOUBLE LENS

Hito Steyerl – Aesthetics of Resistance?

This text was a little difficult for me to get to the main thrust of.

It opens and closes with the imposing history of a Nazi building, which now houses the Lintz Art Academy, and uses this as a base for an argument. The argument posed here, as I understand it, is that of the place of artistic research as codified in the contemporary art world. Steyerl seems to debate as to whether art should be subject to the same disciplines as other academic research, as it might be incongruous (to art itself?) to do so.

The passage referring directly to the filmic essay gives some examples of the development of the genre at the time when this term for it was coined. I believe he is saying this was the period when it was being recognized as “artistic research”.

Or perhaps taking the form that is now recognized as artistic research?

Although personally I doubt these artists were very concerned as to whether or not they were developing artistic research per se – I imagine they were more consumed with their subject matter, their filmic medium and how to present and discuss issues within the context of the integrity of film as a medium.

And as for the argument questioning the place of art as research in an academic institution?

Well it could possibly be argued that ANY subject has been forced into the disciplinary structure of an institution! Why are sciences considered as inextricable from an academic institution, for example? Or languages, or even mathematics for that matter.  They are all universal structures common to the human mind and it’s ability to observe, conceptualize, imagine, draw conclusions and evolve. They are all capable of “living free in the world” existing outside the confines of an institution – just as art is!

Nora M Alter – Journal of Visual Culture

This is a very comprehensive and comprehendible text. It traces the beginnings of the Essay in literary terms as a collection of arguments, questions and concepts based on any subject matter and follows it through to the film as essay and up to recent contemporary developments in the immersive environment of installation.

I don’t see that it really poses any arguments or problems, actually.  It comes across as more of an informative report.

Reading Diary - Praxis Enrichment

PRAXIS ENRICHMENT

Let me begin by saying how glad I am to have the opportunity to take this course – as it really is the one I need most on the most fundamental level.

As a performing artist I am able to articulate and express proficiently through the mediums of movement, sound and related inter-disciplinary techniques – however, my ability to plough through text and summon and craft language leaves much to be desired!

TEXTS – Reader Sampler & Roland Barthes texts

It is difficult for me to find language to demonstrate my understanding of these texts. In fact, it might be more organic for me to express their essence in improvised movement and sound!

Reader

The short quotes all very efficiently put their respective messages across – however, I was only caught up by the use of language in a couple of cases.

The first one (Fioretos) is extremely sensual and gives the reader a sensory effect that reminds me of Lewis Carol’s ability to place his reader in an opium poppy field (as in the Alice books, for example).

Schjeldahl’s description of Twombly’s work is also very captivating in that it brings about a physical sensation in an empathetic reader – one of awkwardness and discontent.

The last one (Weiss) is the most virtuosic use of language. It guides the mind of the reader in exactly the same manner as the structure of the gardens it describes guides their viewer.

The Wisdom of Art

I took note of the fact Barthes used a strong underlying structural technique in his use of a series of Greek concepts to hold the piece together and give inspiration to developing his comments within each given context.

(… As a parody of this kind of technique, I think it might be amusing to form an essay using the Seven Stages of Alchemy to describe the artwork of my four-year-old niece!)

On Fact / Pragma, he hangs a discussion of Twombly’s materials, gestures of application and content.

Chance / Tyche describes the results of Twombly’s gestures on the materials.

Outcome / Telos – here this equals meaning or effect. The effect on the viewer that gives a sense of meaning. (This is what I would refer to as “essence”)

Surprise / Adodeston – a shock or jolt that opens up a new avenue of awareness.

Action / Drama is used to ask “What is happening?” What is happening in the painting? And what is happening in the mind of the viewer? It is seeking story.

My question here is: how is this different from “meaning” in the way he uses Telos?

I am also interested in his ideas of Ma and Rarus in an aesthetic sense that comes out of a spiritual practice or philosophical axiom.

From Work to Text

This was extremely weighty language for me! The only way I can think of to demonstrate my understanding of it is to equate “Text” and “Work” to other concepts.

The two examples that have come to mind are:

1)   In Psychological science, the difference between the neurology of the brain and the development and use of classical Psycho-analysis could be likened to the roles of Text/Neurology and Work/Psycho-analysis (also the fact that it seems to be rather backward which study came first – as it is the neurology that is the physical material in which any thought process – conscious or unconscious - can occur)

2)   In Dance, the capabilities of the human body in gesture, form and kinetic motion are the Text, while their use in any given specific technique and choreography is the Work.

Much contemporary dance since Post-Modernism is focusing back into the “text” of movement as it’s primary goal.

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Claire Elizabeth Barratt

First Year Project Plan

Describe Project Proposal

Outline proposed first year of study

Include references & resources

Discuss how research may inform your practice.

“The Process and Praxis of Constructing the Self as Medium”

a practical pedagogy for the practice of Performance Art

As far as I understand it, Performance Art appears to have acquiesced to the label of “Unruly Stepchild” of the Modern Art world. Nonconformist and defiant by nature, over the course of history it has been defined by a number of disparate entities.

Historically recognized as originating through the work of the Futurists and Dadaists, it has developed and split into various “camps”.

The “Avant Garde Theatre camp” claims such contemporary visionaries as Robert Wilson, Richard Foreman and The Wooster Group; while the “Dance camp” heralds Trisha Brown, Pina Bausch and DV8 Physical Theatre. Music performance includes the famous Laurie Anderson, while Meredith Monk manages to defy pigeonholing.

The Gallery Art World’s Performance Art scene boomed with Fluxus, while there are the antics of dear Gilbert & George, as well as disturbing thrusts into endurance experiments by those such as Chris Burden and Tehching Hsieh. And now, of course Marina Abramovich has shown the movement capable of producing “movie star”– like status. And we can’t go without mentioning the “Happenings” in the days of Black Mountain College.

So what exactly IS Performance Art?

As an Inter-Disciplinary Performing Artist with a background in professional Dance plus Music, Theatre and Visual Arts, the objective of my Creative MFA Practice project proposal is twofold:

To develop a deeper cognizant grasp of the various aspects of this broadly encompassing genre and to establish a context for my own work within its history;

To develop a pedagogy in which my methods of training, preparation and execution can be integrated into a curriculum for the practice of Performance Art.

Over my first year of study, my projected areas of research include: a comprehensive study of the chronological history of Performance Art; a study of contemporaries writing about their own practice; interviews with individuals who are currently teaching Performance Art.

I plan to facilitate a regular workshop series in which my own physical and creative methods of training and preparing body and mind can be fully explored within a synergetic setting.

The discoveries and developments of this research process will be continuously assimilated and assessed throughout the course of the year.

Projected reading material includes:

Richard Schechner – ‘Performance Studies’

Victor Turner – ‘The Anthropology of Performance’

Amelia Jones – ‘The Artist’s Body’, ‘Perform, Repeat, Record’ & ‘Performing The Body/Performing The Text’

Josephine Machon – ‘Immersive Theatres’ & ‘(Syn)aesthetics’

Sandra Reeve – ‘Body & Performance’

plus Roselee Goldberg’s Performance Art chronology synopsizes.