I was seperated from society for my performance. However my equipment only allowed me to record twenty four and a half minutes of my performance piece. Although I must admit it did not take much longer before my peace was intercepted by a number of things. My performance took place in my living room, a space private to me. Also because of the time of day (10:00am), I knew I would be alone. I cleared the area where I would be recording for the purpose of the performance, set up the scene and I was ready to film. All that I would have in there with me would be a book, Gaston Bachelard's "Potics Of Space". I hadn't prepared for the performance as I wanted it to feel as natural as it could be, I didn't take a toilet break before or even have food or drink. I left my mobile turned on and the house phone on the hook. I began to film and after about 10 minutes I began to feel alone. I felt very compressed, I could hardly move and I couldn't get comfortable. I started to think about how valuable space is and how much space I need to be happy. I thought about costrophobia and how people with this phobia feel, because I felt strangled inside these four invisible walls. Prison cells came to my mind. Its obvious why they are deigned the way they are, the psychological aspect of the size is a punishment in its own right. This test made me appreciate my freedom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9GQLW2xqO8
About fithteen minutes into my performance my mobile phone rang, prooving to me that there is actually very little privacy in your own home. My phone rang again about five minutes later. I could have turned the phone off but the whole point of the project was to see if I could seperate myself from the outside world. It was very hard because in one aspect I wanted to look at my phone, I wanted to answer it but I couldn't and in another way I was fustrated that I couldn't relax without interferance. If my performance was longer it could have been disrupted by a post man or gas man, there's so many possibilities. I got the answers I needed to back up my point. Were in an age today where privacy is almost impossible find, partly to do with the internet and technology. I've been brought up using computers and the net, its genius and I don't know any difference. However through its great means it brings some not so great one's.
My performance was a huge success to me I reiterated the fact of how we are constantly socially involved and how hard it is to disconnect yourself from everybody else. But most importantly I discovered for myself the issue of space, how we need it and can't live without it, without room to roam we can't express ourselves and make things happen. Without space you become mentally trapped. I think i've stressed the importance of being able to move and to have our own space, which is what I aimed to achieve.
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