2023
Durational Performance:
30 minutes
Sense of Space, Good Will, and Energy is an homage to Dick Higgins and La Monte Young of Fluxus, as well as a reinterpretation of Higgins’ piece Essay on La Monte Young. In this work, Higgins drew a visual chart, pulling from a myriad of sources to make sense of what sustains an artist: spiritually, physically, emotionally. I found myself most attracted to the three abstractions above, and felt the connection deeply within my own work.
And so, Sense of Space, Good Will, and Energy became both a triptych and praxis for me. Each tenet was visualized as a banner, and each banner was sewn with naturally died fibers.
Just before sundown, I invited community members, artists, neighbors, and two musicians on a walk. Volunteers held ribbons that ran from the banners. Along with musicans Yuecheng Huang and Nico Holtzman, we led the parade goers through the neighborhood, guiding the procession with a minimalist composition that included an accordion, a violin, and a triangle. A guardian angel brought up the rear of the parade.
Embodying the Cageian ideals of letting ambient sounds influence the work, I invited participants to consider how the urban environment was also part of the composition. As such, nothing was left out; a barking dog, a car battery kicking in, our feet on gravel all became elements of the performance. The procession wound through a neighborhood that is partly residential, as well as being home to garages and auto shops. As we walked, people invetibly came out to both watch and listen.
This procession was performed at CHANTIER, upon invitation from Centre SKOL for their anniversary party. It was made possible with the contributions of volunteers, community members, and composers Yuecheng and Nico.