This week, we smacked flowers on rocks, got some aggression out with a BB gun, did face stretches, tapped bodies, and passed an apple from left to right.
Monday April 3rd
Title: "Smackin' flowers onto rock"
Instructions: smack flowers onto rocks. Invite the passerby's.
Why? why not?
Rehearsal Discoveries: Once again, a need for logistics brought about the set up. Decided it all looked good displayed atop the tiny sample stage given to me by that guy with the long beard I currently can't remember the name of who wanted to build me a stage but also date me, and I had to tell him no.
Performance Write Up: Some people were into it, but a few were deeply offended or unwilling, which I can assume was either from fear that I may try and kidnap them by attacking them from behind or distrust in the act of smacking as one of aggression, fueling destructive forces in this world. This begs the question, is chaotic destruction through art, and more specifically upon living creatures, a low, unworthy vibration to feed in this world, despite its constructive possibilities as a mode of release? What is the consequence according to those who experience this release? What is the consequence to those who feel inhibition and through it, move? What is the consequence of listening to a weird art lady on the street give you instructions to do an act you may have otherwise not done? Is her fulfillment of sharing these opportunities a distorted reality that uplifts chaos over the silence?
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/wM-FaMXNyRo
Tuesday April 4th
Title: "Stress Recycling"
Instructions: write your stresses on paper or something. Shoot them with BB gun
Why? This is what Sergey calls it when he shoots glass bottles with the BB gun.
Rehearsal Discoveries: Was originally going to break glass bottles, actually. Then tomorrow's, Mosaic Stretch, was supposed to be assembling the broken bits into a mosaic. I think I literally forgot what I was planning to do or was concerned about the cleaning. I don't remember. I am currently writing this in July 2023.
Performance Write Up: It was pretty anticlimactic having the image of a shotgun without the sound of a shotgun. If this performance had a shotgun sound cued up, it would definitely be more engaging. Luckily, you can hear my frustrated grunts in the video.
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/Ii7X-vowYCI
Wednesday April 5th
Title: "Mosaic Stretch"
Instructions: Since you didn't break glass yesterday, find another way to mosaic.
The way: paint face as a mosaic, then stretch
Why? Working with the title. Face stretching is an important stretch.
Rehearsal Discoveries: Would look good inside a cardboard hole using the same color scheme.
Performance Write Up: I love how strange and feel-good face stretching is. In terms of my physical experience, one, paintbrushes on the face feel good, and two, stretching the face feels good. Alas, that performance felt good.
I always remember Jim Carey when I stretch my face, and I often refer to him during vocal lessons when I am guiding my students to stretch their faces. He was a brilliant face maneuverer.
Looking back at this video, I appreciate the time division of half anticipation (hole awaiting and face painting) going to half face stretching. I believe slower face motions would have been funnier, but maybe not. If I were to do it again, I'd definitely try that. Also, the video angle, if I had a video crew (LOL), would of course be more effective straight on with the hole. I could have worked harder to set this up, but I remember I was painting the cardboard at 9:45am. If you've read any of these so far, you'd know how much of a rush 10AM has been.
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/EwouZ1Lp32Y
Thursday April 6th
Title: "Body Percussion ASMR"
Instructions: Set up mic for ASMR. Tap that body.
Why? Awesome.
Rehearsal Discoveries: Michelle is down. She has a mask. Even more awesome.
Performance Write Up: Awesome.
We just didn't set up a recording outside to hear the quality people were hearing, but rest assured, everything was amplified well.
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/okCcwyEPJ5A
Friday April 7th
Title: "Left to Right"
Instructions: Move an apple from left to right over the course of 15 minutes.
Why? Arthur Bath had the idea with me and Leslie over at the Ould Sod during a brainstorm sesh. We initially thought it would be three people passing it to one another. He was not available this day. Am I a douchebag for doing the show anyways? Only god can say.
Rehearsal Discoveries: I had the though that we needed to set up the dramatic plot, so I had Leslie ask me to pass her the apple.
Performance Write Up: Since we didn't just dramatically move the apple for no reason and set up the performance with the dialogue element, this completely changed the show to become humorous. The casualty of the conversation taking place brought in the sarcasm. This element brings out the ridiculousness of seriously dense, slow paced performance art (like that of some of the previous plant embodiments I have done). Wordless settings can feel so sacred like that of tai chi, while casual word-filled segments like this register as total jokes.
I can imagine a setting where the language in which we were speaking could have been more glorious. For instance, if we came up with an inspired usage of key words or delivered anything with a poetic style, the performance would register with whatever tone the words embody. Words have that capacity. I suppose doing anything awkward while speaking casually is just hilarious.
View on youtube here-->> https://youtu.be/TNLYIIUZKRI
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