Famous Cat
I was forwarded a link to have a look at on twitter, which is a call out for artists to create workshops for DIY10, 2013 with the Live Art Development Agency http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/prof_dev/diy/diy10_…. Scrolling down the page to theme 7 there was another link to Marina Abramovic’s work referencing her performance The Artist is Present, at MOMA http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2010/03/15/…. I was surprised to read that a big institution had problems streaming this performance and I question if the artist was consulted on using this medium? Apparently the stream was at a low frame rate and kept getting stuck. The online comments page for the show makes an interesting read.
Why would anyone want to watch this online for any amount of time? I can partly understand why people would want to sit with Marina such as wanting to be near a famous artist, being part of the work, trying to feel a connection with another. However I can’t help but feel that if any other person suggested this as a performance piece it would be laughed at. As Marina Abramovic is ‘famous’ I can imagine institutions are lining up to show her work. This reminds me of the work ‘cut piece’ by Yoko One who re-staged it at the Baltic. She originally sat on the floor however this time she sat on a chair for the duration. I remember watching the video documentation of this and I found it funny how people would come to her and almost bow down to her like she was the Queen. This re-enactment is totally different from when she originally performed it; people were less respectful of her back then.
Are these performances meant to act more like ‘mirrors’ at the audience to look at themselves through the artist? Are the artists taking control of the situation by using their presence & reputation? All these big questions make me want to regress and be silly in my performances. Like a moth to the flame I have been watching Ustream trying to find out what the most popular shows are. It seems that there are only a few formats and the content tends to be live, streamed events such as a concert or sports game. People talk directly to the camera like a low quality TV show. My personal favourite are animals being watched in their environments. Birds and cats are most popular. This has got me thinking about adding some cat special effects to my Penny Arcade wardrobe. Could I simply stream getting ready for the performance?
Working in reverse
I followed up on my previous conversation with Paul Sermon at Media City and discussed the pros and con’s of live streaming. It was really good to get an outside view of the work without him actually seeing the piece. I simply told him about the content of it and my ideas about displaying the performance. However he raised the question of whether this video or live stream was meant to be a private one to one experience or a shared experience? I guess I hadn’t really thought about this and just kept thinking the more people who see it the better. Considering the controversial content of the script and my provocative attitude, is this something I want to turn into a spectacle? Should it be seen in a more private and self-reflective way? Paul spoke about how entering into an online dialogue could side track away from the work and be open to misinterpretation. On reflection I don’t want the audience to be more interested in each other’s comments rather than watching the performance.
Should the work be shown in a gallery context? This would really focus the eye on the work itself and erase distractions that might pop up on your computer screen. I had thought that I would like to show this piece at an event, although I don’t think this is right as again its turning the work into a spectacle without people investing their time into the whole piece. Considering what is the audience meant to get from seeing it is making me change my mind about the presentation of it. This video needs to be shown either on a monitor or on my laptop with headphones for one person to view at a time. I am still very interested in creating live, streamed performances, however this requires making work specifically for this medium rather than forcing this performance to fit. In my practice I tend to make work in response to a place or situation, however I have been swept away with the process of making a performance from home which is why I am struggling a bit with deciding how to show it.
Props & Distribution
I have been researching places to distribute this video piece. To maximize audience engagement I am going to stay open minded about were to show it. Looking through the exhibiting section on a-n I found an online opportunity with Acid Rain Production http://www.acidrainproduction.com/oldhome. They offer an online platform and broadcast video on TV in America. Acid Rain prefer to premier video pieces, which is really great to see online value the work in this way. In the past I have distributed my videos on You Tube however it can sometimes cheapen the work. I was forwarded this opportunity through email called Counter Culture Club at 2022NQ, Manchester http://boxoftrickstheatre.co.uk/countercultureclub.html. My performances and videos work best at an event or happening which this offers. Part of my initial proposal for the AA2A scheme was to improve my video production workflow, although what is the point if I cannot maintain the technology/software needed at home? Producing this new piece of work I have intentionally worked with what I have and I am not going to make any apologies for it. I surrender trying to keep up with the technical changes with computers.
There I’ve said it, and it feels good.
Penny Arcade
Wig/Dress/Performance knickers/Lipstick/Make-up
Other
Intro cards mounted onto card/Bathroom towel or lights?
Technical
Laptop/Extension lead/Lamp
Final Rehearsal
Read through script/Set-up Bathroom/Wardrobe & Make-up/Full run through using computer cam
Bathroom Performance
Today I have been performing in the bathroom. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this sooner. It is well known that audio sounds great in bathrooms and it offers the perfect backdrop. I have done one run through the entire piece and recorded it on my computer cam. I love the simplicity of hitting the record button and having all the material I need on my computer to hand. When I held up my text intro cards they read backwards. I had to print them off as a mirror image to make them readable. The lighting in the bathroom is pretty good as I have spotlights in the ceiling. However I am having video quality issues again, which seems to be the bain of my life! I just want to get on with the work and not get bogged down in techy crap. On the regular playback screen in Photo Booth the video looks great, although when I fill the entire screen it looks pixilated. I could get around this by only showing it small scale, however this is limiting the size. Would a higher quality video cam solve this problem or is it my ageing dinosaur computer affecting the output? Do newer mac’s have better quality built in video cam’s? I noticed watching the playback that the bigger the image the more you notice the slippages in my performance. The smaller the image the less you notice. From this I feel the video would be better suited to a computer/TV screen or a smaller sized projection. I took a photograph of my laptop on top of the shelf in the bathroom and I really like the look of it. The backdrop to my performance now offers a door to walk through and lights to switch off. My dance routine needs perfecting and building from when I am in the foreground to me walking out the door and turning the lights off. Overall the structure is there I just need to refine the performance and use better equipment to film the piece. For now I can keep practicing with what I have.
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Graphic layouts for the intro cards to my Penny Arcade performance.
