I think Performance Art might be a troublesome combination of the amateur with artfulness.
Several years ago, I read in New Yorker magazine a description of performance artists as “smart people who cannot really do anything”. I quite like that.
Performance has a disputed history and area of practice for at least 3 reasons:
Because the anarchic/anti-everything element is (naturally) enraged when ANY defining occurs as it smacks of institutionalism.
Because we are (slightly) more global and therefore even the Akademe (a default history deposit) is less likely to trot out a Eurocentric Story of “once upon a time there were the Futurists, the Dadaists, the Situationists, the Aktionists, the Fluxists, etc …”
Because Performance Art is historically the refuge for immigrants and refugees of other disciplines – a safer haven for artists/workers booted out the back door of painting, theatre and various widget-making. Disenfranchised artists wash up on the shores of performance but they bring traces of their original practices with them.
Performance Art has evolved in the 40 years I have been practicing.
I began in 1971 (2012-1971 = 41). But to be truthful, I didn’t call it “performance” back then. We simply called it “the work” or said we were “making a new piece”. I cannot remember when I started naming it “performance art” – perhaps mid ‘70’s in Montreal tap dancing to Motown with Tom Dean at Galerie Vehicule; or late’70’s in Toronto with a loose gang of multi-media choreographer at 15 Dance Lab when we suddenly realized no one thought of us as modern dancers anymore.
I wear my history on my body. My body contains German Modern Dance, Classical & Nouvelle Burlesque, Acting for Theatre/Film/Television/Radio, Agit-Prop & Cabaret, Video/Film/Installation Art making, Writing/Publishing for paper & internet, Mothering, Cleaning, Labouring, Clinical Exercise/Yoga/Fitness Body Practice, Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, Meditation, Fasting, Gorging, Loving and Forgiving etc …
I make performance like I make bread. I gather Die Kunst unt Material. I know what the recipe is for bread making but I don’t really know what I am going to do or what it shall feel like until I begin. I must listen to my heart/psyche and open my pores to follow possibilities given to me by the audience. I think performance has an element of tincture or essence making. I hope I have cooked and simmered my performance into a thick reduction or “goo” that provides multiple points of entry. I hope each audience member has a personal and different meaning/experience of the work. Ultimately, I am interested in transformation through performance. Theirs and Mine.
Submitted with love… xoxoxox
Je porte mon histoire sur mon corps.
Mon corps contient la danse moderne allemande ; Classique et Nouvelle Burlesque ; Agissant pour le théâtre, cinéma, télévision, Radio ;Agit-Prop, Cabaret ; Vidéo, Film, Installation ; Ecriture et publication pour papier et internet ; Maternage ; Nettoyage ; Labourant ; Exercice clinique, de Yoga et de Fitness corps pratiques ; Sexe et drogues et Rock and Roll ; Méditation ; Jeûne ; Se gaver de produits ; Loving et qui pardonnent, etc …
Je fais la performance comme je fais pain. Je comprends Die Kunst unt matériel. Je sais quoi de la recette de fabrication de pain, mais je ne sais vraiment pas ce que je vais faire ou ce qu'il doit sentir jusqu'à ce que je commence. Je dois écouter mon cœur et de la psyché et ouvrir mon pores de suivre les possibilités m'a confié l'auditoire. Je pense que le rendement a un élément de teinture ou à essence. J'espère que j'ai fait cuire et mijoter ma performance en réduction d'épaisseur ou goo qui offre de multiples points d'entrée. J'espère que chaque membre du public a une signification personnelle et différente ou l'expérience du travail. Finalement, je m'intéresse à la transformation par le biais de performance. Leur et la Mine.
Soumis avec amour.
Several years ago, I read in New Yorker magazine a description of performance artists as “smart people who cannot really do anything”. I quite like that.
Performance has a disputed history and area of practice for at least 3 reasons:
Because the anarchic/anti-everything element is (naturally) enraged when ANY defining occurs as it smacks of institutionalism.
Because we are (slightly) more global and therefore even the Akademe (a default history deposit) is less likely to trot out a Eurocentric Story of “once upon a time there were the Futurists, the Dadaists, the Situationists, the Aktionists, the Fluxists, etc …”
Because Performance Art is historically the refuge for immigrants and refugees of other disciplines – a safer haven for artists/workers booted out the back door of painting, theatre and various widget-making. Disenfranchised artists wash up on the shores of performance but they bring traces of their original practices with them.
Performance Art has evolved in the 40 years I have been practicing.
I began in 1971 (2012-1971 = 41). But to be truthful, I didn’t call it “performance” back then. We simply called it “the work” or said we were “making a new piece”. I cannot remember when I started naming it “performance art” – perhaps mid ‘70’s in Montreal tap dancing to Motown with Tom Dean at Galerie Vehicule; or late’70’s in Toronto with a loose gang of multi-media choreographer at 15 Dance Lab when we suddenly realized no one thought of us as modern dancers anymore.
I wear my history on my body. My body contains German Modern Dance, Classical & Nouvelle Burlesque, Acting for Theatre/Film/Television/Radio, Agit-Prop & Cabaret, Video/Film/Installation Art making, Writing/Publishing for paper & internet, Mothering, Cleaning, Labouring, Clinical Exercise/Yoga/Fitness Body Practice, Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, Meditation, Fasting, Gorging, Loving and Forgiving etc …
I make performance like I make bread. I gather Die Kunst unt Material. I know what the recipe is for bread making but I don’t really know what I am going to do or what it shall feel like until I begin. I must listen to my heart/psyche and open my pores to follow possibilities given to me by the audience. I think performance has an element of tincture or essence making. I hope I have cooked and simmered my performance into a thick reduction or “goo” that provides multiple points of entry. I hope each audience member has a personal and different meaning/experience of the work. Ultimately, I am interested in transformation through performance. Theirs and Mine.
Submitted with love… xoxoxox
Je porte mon histoire sur mon corps.
Mon corps contient la danse moderne allemande ; Classique et Nouvelle Burlesque ; Agissant pour le théâtre, cinéma, télévision, Radio ;Agit-Prop, Cabaret ; Vidéo, Film, Installation ; Ecriture et publication pour papier et internet ; Maternage ; Nettoyage ; Labourant ; Exercice clinique, de Yoga et de Fitness corps pratiques ; Sexe et drogues et Rock and Roll ; Méditation ; Jeûne ; Se gaver de produits ; Loving et qui pardonnent, etc …
Je fais la performance comme je fais pain. Je comprends Die Kunst unt matériel. Je sais quoi de la recette de fabrication de pain, mais je ne sais vraiment pas ce que je vais faire ou ce qu'il doit sentir jusqu'à ce que je commence. Je dois écouter mon cœur et de la psyché et ouvrir mon pores de suivre les possibilités m'a confié l'auditoire. Je pense que le rendement a un élément de teinture ou à essence. J'espère que j'ai fait cuire et mijoter ma performance en réduction d'épaisseur ou goo qui offre de multiples points d'entrée. J'espère que chaque membre du public a une signification personnelle et différente ou l'expérience du travail. Finalement, je m'intéresse à la transformation par le biais de performance. Leur et la Mine.
Soumis avec amour.