In considering documenting my Lost Library project to now, I’ve come across an opportunity: Goldsmiths Library Residency later in the year.
I know for a fact my approach to the residency isn’t strictly what they are looking for. My approach and M.O. rarely fits anything. I feel unprofessional in the way I develop my work, but I know that it is the most fruitful, revealing and exciting way I can work.
My recent declaration: This season I will be mostly wearing my actions is proving to be quite a long season.
So in the last iteration of The Lost Library I wore a stripy top, set up in three buildings which were historical or current libraries, was mute for the duration of 6 hours, signed people up to The Lost Library, issued membership cards and gave one word to each new member.
The thing that began my project The Lost Library was my desire to bring the words within the library to life through movement. This I couldn’t do due to believing I needed professional performers and therefore funding to do this. Which I didn’t get ( I applied to two sources and got turned down.) I have a big difficulty in filling out forms in that I have no idea how to answer questions, what is expected, the wording is nearly always misleading to me. As well as the way I lose the meaning to a whole sentence due to the misuse of a word.
Before I go too far on that line of blog, let me review that area of my divergence! This slight obsession on words and meaning and being concise is clearly something I cannot leave alone. Something I would have liked to spend more time on is the editing of my list of 1000 words that were used for the last two performances of The Lost Library – at Fringe Arts Bath and Deptford X Fringe. Though – in fact, by reviewing the words before each use I get to refresh them just in time, so they are perpetually my chosen 1000.
Ok, so this belief that I need professional performers has subsided since I’ve been working on various projects – the car boot, the clydach gorge collaboration presentation event and considering embodying one of my paintings from the Clydach Gorge Collaboration Lifeforce Clydach in which white stick figures dance, do yoga and relax near the edge of a landscape ridge – on the horizon. (These ridges surface again and again in my paintings)
I found not speaking during my last Lost Library appearance at Deptford X Fringe interesting, especially with giving out just one word. The signing people up in a register for the library was an interruption in the performance, plus it meant cardboard signs were needed to explain, which I’d prefer not to do. If I could rely totally on my gestures and having one word to give out as the focus, this is more interesting. What I like about how this is developing is the way I’m editing the content. I’m reducing the elements down.
Have I gone far enough?
Lost Library now=one word+ gestures
