Intoduction
Performance covers a wide range of media and has more to do with the intent of the performer and the interpretation of the audience than the media. We were originally scheduled to hear from a dancer about her perspective on movement and performance, but unfortunately she was ill. The good news is that Dean Wilcox covered a wide range of the types of performance and what performance means. He covered many unconventional methods of performance and explained the thought process behind them.
Starting Points
I knew a bit about conventional performance, ie; acting, music, dancing and other traditional performances. These are performances that most everyone would agree are in fact performances because they lie firmly in the realm of performance. I had also heard of some of the more gray areas of what constitutes performance,such as "found art", random objects presented at galleries as art. However, I didn't understand these and thought they were quite frankly ridiculous. Now I understand them a bit better, though I still think they're kind of ridiculous. I had even performed myself, presenting katas at local martial arts tournaments both in competitions and as part of a demonstration.
What I Learned
Dean Wilcox explained many different types of performance as well as the reasoning behind it. As I mentioned, I had heard of "found art" before, but i never understood the point. Wilcox explained that the art itself was not the point, but the way people were now forced to think about it. In that regard, found art succeeds, though I confess I still find it odd. Another peculiar performance movement is Dada, essentially nonsensical gibberish designed to contrast the usually rational and orderly methods of western culture. There are many other examples, but the point is that performance can cover an almost infinite spectrum defined only by intent and interpretation. This is where the debate about where life end and where performance begins comes into play. We all act differently depending on the people around us. We have different behaviors depending on if we're with our friends or our parents or our boss. The question is, does this constitute a performance? I have to say no, though there are valid arguments for the opposite. I say no because the distinction in my mind is that a performance is done for the entertainment or engagement of an audience. This is where intent and interpretation come in. If either condition is fulfilled, it is a performance. What I mean by this is that if the performer intends it to be a performance, then it may be a performance. However, if the performer does not intend for it to be a performance, it may still be considered a performance if a sizable audience interprets it as one. Overall the definition is very subjective, and it was interesting to see the different takes on it, including those done by fellow students (see mine here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_sRkJzb9oY) for our performance composition.
Things I Would Like to Learn More About
It would have been nice to learn about the more conventional side of performance as well, something we missed out on due to the illness of one of the guest speakers. Learning about the different types of unconventional performance was fascinating and eye-opening, but it would have been nice to have a basis of a typical performer and to hear the composition process for that. Especially since the unconventional is often built upon the conventional, it would have been nice to have a more solid foundation before moving on.
Conclusion
This unit was very informative and helped me to think about the concept of performance on a more intellectual level. It is also one of the more fun compositions we've done, I think in no small part due to the sheer freedom "performance" allows. It let everyone do essentially whatever they wanted with the project, which resulted in some clever and funny performances. The freedom in performance is one of the best things about it since it lets anyone express anything however they want, be it deliberately in art or casually in art.
No comments:
Post a Comment