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Over the weekend the Arts Collective on campus hosted their annual Beaux Arts Ball. The only requirement: come dressed as an artist or a piece of art. My Post Studio Projects class was also in attendance, and as such it was an opportune time for us to try out some conceptual art. After some internal debate I decided to go as Yoko Ono's Cut Piece (1965). Overall it was a well received piece and very interactive, but there were distinct differences relying on multiple factors such as my gender and the environment of the art.
Yoko Ono performed Cut Piece by sitting in silence on a stage while people came up one by one to cut away from her clothes with scissors. Some snipped away buttons or small pieces of fabric, but eventually people began to take off larger sections of clothing. Everyone was generally fine with this and laughed along even as men began to cut away at her undergarments and bra (one man in particular was incredibly disgusting and clearly enjoyed doing this). It wasn't until her hair began to be cut away that people had a problem, as she became a person and not just an object of art. Unlike Yoko Ono's piece in 1965 I was performing among friends and some strangers at a college party. Everyone was in good spirits, and some even felt too uncomfortable or worried that they would hurt me. I remained silent while they cut away and then resumed normal conversation until the next person took up the scissors. I also was not subjected to being viewed as an object in the way that women artists generally are (like Yoko Ono and Marina Abramovic). No one tried to cut away at my hair (thankfully) or underwear, and so I was eventually left dancing around in a pair of bright pink briefs and scraps of black cotton around my ankles. It was a good opportunity to see how environments affect performance piece, which will help in revising some of my projects for more public spaces (which will of course be documented). Until next time! - Noah Open your mind, be brave, and be kind.
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In order to better understand assignments and instructions in conceptual art each member of my class had to choose, enact, and film a project from a book entitled DO IT. While some are more direct in telling the reader what to do, most of the instructions are up to interpretation. Initially I chose one where I was given the task of doing "something that is unique to you that no one else in the world can do. Don't call it art." Initially I thought of just being myself, as no one can be or do the same things as me in the exact same time and place. However the more I thought about it the more difficult it became, and I did not like being told to not call something art.
Ultimately I settled on a new assignment from 2012 by Simone Forti: "Think about climate change. Sit for some moments in dumb grief, dumb knowing, dumb amazement." This led to the idea of recycling and garbage, since Dickinson is heavily invested in sustainability. We also happened to have some unusually warm weather this week with a peak of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. What you have is the result of an afternoon spent thinking about the sudden shift in climate, cluttering, and recyclables. - Noah Open your mind, be brave, and be kind. Titles always hold some sort of power, whether you choose to include one or not. Finding the perfect name for a piece or show can come as naturally as breathing, or perhaps it takes some exploration and deliberation. Thus I decided to enact #39 of my 100 conceptual assignments: Create an art show title from the seventh word of the seventh page of seven books. I could have made the distinction of choosing the seventh page of where the story began (the books I chose were all queer novels), but instead I focused on the physical books themselves rather than just the heart of each work. The books and words chosen are as follows: In Awe by Scott Heim (my), The Waterfront Journals by David Wojnarowicz (man), Another Country by James Baldwin (vintage), Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran (the), Christopher and His Kind by Christopher Isherwood (tortures), Carol (the original title of the novel was The Price of Salt and I will forever be dismayed and infuriated by this change) by Patricia Highsmith (reality), and Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson (thanks). I rearranged the words into seven possible titles, hoping that this magical number would help create the best one.
THANKS MY MAN TORTURES THE VINTAGE REALITY THANKS REALITY MY MAN TORTURES THE VINTAGE THANKS MAN THE VINTAGE TORTURES MY REALITY THE VINTAGE MAN TORTURES MY REALITY THANKS THE MAN TORTURES MY VINTAGE THANKS REALITY VINTAGE THE MAN TORTURES THANKS MY REALITY MY THANKS TORTURES THE VINTAGE MAN REALITY Well, that was something. The question now is what kind of show will this be? Performance art could always be an option (perhaps an improved version of the my endurance piece "Lady Godiva Sucks Oranges" could be incorporated) but this really is an art form in itself. An artist might have a title in mind when creating their work, but a show title usually materializes after the work has some significant body to it. Words have power, so to start off with a title means that the pieces involved have to possess a strong connection. We'll see. - Noah Open your mind, be brave, and be kind.  As a part of the first half of my Post Studio Projects course each of us must enact three of our 100 original conceptual art assignments. Of course they have to be three of our strongest, but that also depends on us as performers and how we will react to each piece. For my first one I picked #41: Sit in the dark and draw what you think. This is also a time to mention that I don't like being alone (and conscious) in the dark. Having an overactive imagination doesn't help either. I cleared off my desk and set a timer for seven minutes, and I am glad it was not any longer than that. The first five minutes were fine, but soon after I could feel the presence of something creeping up behind me. My lines became more frantic, in hopes that by speeding up my drawing I could make time flow faster. Those last two minutes felt like an hour, and I was utterly and without a doubt terrified of whatever my mind had conjured to lurk inches behind me. Fortunately the timer went off and the lights came on.
Sometimes it is good to face your fears, especially when you know it's all in your mind. However those can also be the worst ones, for as long as you live they can keep creeping up from the fathoms of your imagination. There were quite a few assignments I created that have to do with fear or negative emotions, so this is just dipping my toes into the shallow end. This will continue to be a refining process as I work on editing and improving my list. What will happen then no one can say. - Noah Open your mind, be brave, and be kind. In the tradition of John Baldessari each Post Studio Projects student must create 100 assignments of conceptual art. My creations, both questions and instructions, are as follows:
This week we had to do a performance piece about endurance for three minutes. While I was initially thinking about how I need to endure something, immediately my mind went to what LGBRTQ+ people have to go through each day, and while some are luckier than others many face terrible violence at any possible moment. Thus also playing on the phrase "Anita Bryant Sucks Oranges" I decided to do a piece where not only my endurance and that of the fruit would be tested, but that of the participants. Their willpower to either continue to assault or resist the mob would play heavily into the piece.
I did not edit the documentation of this performance primarily because I wanted to capture every aspect. From here it becomes easier to reflect and refine the process, thinking about how this piece would be replicated and done differently. Overall it went well, but this is also because I know all participating members (save for one visiting candidate to the department). If performed for longer and in a public space that safety would be removed and we would truly see what people would do to assault, or resist, a queer body. Perhaps this piece will be performed in the future, so stay tuned! - Noah Open your mind, be brave. and be kind. For my second Post Studio Project I was given one of three John Baldessari assignment that I chose from his rather large list. My first reaction was to limit people's senses, have them imagine a smell based on how it looks and its name, but since this is conceptual art I need to look outside the box. Interactive pieces are usually a good choice primarily because the outcome always depends upon the participants. As the initial component I created a sent of my very own that I thought would represent warmth (sugar, cloves, thyme, etc.) and have each person give me the word that came to mind upon smelling it. Those words are: spicy, pumpkin pie, warm, winter, orange balls (and by this they meant Pomander Balls), cooking, pepper, and Havdalah (the ceremony marking the conclusion of Shabbat).
The next part of the performance included a new addition of word sensory. Each participant grabbed a word out of a bag and picked a scent that they felt represented that word. They were combined (although some people poured in more of their scent than others), and another warm scent was created. However, this smell was quickly identified as "tacos" due to the obscene amount of cumin. Overall I would say it was a successful project, but if repeated there would need to be a removal of spice labels so people relied on scent alone. There is also my own presence as the artist and documenter, which can interrupt the project. The lesson: You are accountable for all aspects of your project. - Noah Open your mind, be brave, and be kind. |
To See With One's Body and SoulThis blog documents all of my adventures, as well as my development into an artist, writer, and a better person. Archives
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