Monday, February 27, 2012

http://www8.esc.edu/esconline/escdocuments/studentvoice.nsf/3cc42a422514347a8525671d0049f395/bb6ce1f0734d2a388525799d00758baa?OpenDocument

Announcement! Yes!

I attended a fascinating performance art event at the Grace Exhibition Space in Bushwick Brooklyn on Friday night. I jumped right into the action and took some photos. The chaos was immense and the air was very thick with smoke. There was plenty to look at and think about. My friends did not understand it. I told them to concentrate on one thing at a time and then think of it later, as a whole. Performance art is not normally quiet, the action itself creates artful thoughts for the audience. I like that the Grace Space is focusing on the development of this particular art form. There was a very large stationary icon head with moving arms while another performer duo created their own "demi-god", a masked body being dragged on a sliding board through the spectators. This masked head seemed to emulate a struggle to become more like the self-made god form that reminded untouched, in its stagnant position.
The chaos ensued, as other performers struggled with their "tasks". Some of the most striking visual elements were the dead rubber doll and a homemade music contraption that was so ugly, but made the most beautiful sounds. It had two fan covers that were hooked into a sound system. They acted like beautiful harps when they were touched. There was a child carefully placing round stickers around the space. We asked him for one. He did not respond, but continued to attend to his duties. Next to him were two nude masked figures playing a hand clapping game. This was the most striking and disturbing problem of the performance for me to figure out. The child, unaffected by the childish behavior of the adults. The roles reversed from real life.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

I am taking a drawing class. This is my first drawing. I chose the hardest thing on the object table to draw. Skulls have always held a fascination for me. Human or animal. They remind me of how strong a body really is; of its strength and permanence. With our other parts, it seems as if we are so frail. It takes bones years upon years to disappear long after death. Skulls are a powerful symbol of physiological strength.