After each experiment, my concept about our final piece is evolving and changing. The one thing that remains constant is the notion of Vulnerability and Exposure and the portrayal of these within my piece. However the representations of these words are causing a grey area within the performance. Through this performance, i want to achieve much more using the human body than just the physicality of the form; i want to communicate the artist’s ideas and feelings through the canvas. The piece will create a mental and physical exploration of vulnerability, the physical element of the vulnerability will be shown through the live element of the performance.

The physical live element 

Through the Live element of the installation, I want to show the naked human body in all of our states of vulnerability, commenting upon individual vulnerabilities. Through the removal of clothes throughout the two hours i want to show  to the audience that the experience broke down the performer, therefore upon leaving we are still six women thrown together with many varying vulnerabilities. But most importantly after the piece we are still broken. One element that was discussed was the idea of de-objectifying the body, Judith Butler and Gender Trouble became key when discussing the role of gender within performance. Within the book it states that if the appearance of “being” a gender is an effect of culturally influenced acts, then there exists no solid, universal gender. Through the practice of performance, the gender “woman” (like the gender “man”) remains contingent and open to interpretation and “re-signification.” She calls for gender trouble, for people to trouble the categories of gender through performance. In essence within our performance, much like Judith Butler and Nick Green in Body Politics we want to use the body to create ourselves as subjects and not objects as Judith explains, “we, ‘women,’ must become subjects and not objects” (Butler, 1990, p. 48)

The pre-recorded element 

The prerecorded elements on the projection will highlight the mental side of vulnerability, the nuance of the film was used to help create an emotional connection, making the audience experience happiness and sadness within a short space of time. The projection will help to create an emotional connection between audience and performer due to the intimate nature of the questions and answers. Through these two combining elements, the piece is moving away from representing documentation as art, and towards a simple, minimalistic installation on vulnerability focusing upon the audience’s reaction, and subsequently the audience  and actors reactions within the space. Through this final installation performance, i want my work to encourage spectators to reflect, to think and to feel. The way this will be achieved is not only dictated by the image, but by reflecting on it through the spectators own experiences and feelings.

The experiment which created this element was one in which we answered questions which made the person feel mentally vulnerable and exposed. Many of these questions were asked by 18-25 year old students which caused the theme to by body and sex orientated,  for example:

 

• Tell a personal story?
• Have you ever had an eating disorder? What were your feelings during this period?
• Explain your first sexual experience?

 

It was during the technical run through that the group realised how significant this experiment was due to the exposure we felt whilst the questions were being shown, it also allowed a structured vocal element within the piece that highlighted our vulnerability. In essence i wanted the video to show ‘Our lineage in random form’  (Etchells and Phelan, 1999, p.19.)

   

 

 

Works cited

Butler, J. 1990. Gender trouble. New York London: Routledge

Etchells, T. and Phelan, P. 1999. Certain Fragments. London: Routledge