Facebook and Twitter are becoming extremely popular. They are used by actors, performers, directors, casting agencies, theatre companies, celebrities and many more. These social networking sites have become a stepping stone for actors and theatre companies as it is a quick and easy way to find out about auditions or shows that are being performed.

Back in October 2012, Facebook reached 1 billion users and has continued to grow since. It is estimated that there are 554,750,000 active Twitter users, which amounts to approximately 58 million tweets a day.

These sites are have become so popular and act as an essential part of people’s daily lives that they are now classified as legal documents.

I decided to set up a Twitter and Facebook account advertising and explaining a little about my performance. However, I am also using this to source people’s views and opinions about being perfect and beautiful. I will then use these as a part of my performance.

 

 

 

WORKS CITED

Huffington Post (2013) Twitter Statistics Online: www.statisticbrain.com

There are now many more types of performance than a simple theatre production. Performing arts and visual arts began as being two different types of art. However, these two forms are now combined to create complex performances, which include various elements of performance such as, spoken word, dance, singing, music, technology and more.

The space in which art is created and expressed is an important part of a performance. Some performer’s like to feel a connection with the space, to have a sense of the energy which surrounds them, this is to generate a deeper relationship for both themselves and their audience.

Marina Abramovic, a performance artist, finds specific spaces where she feels an energy so she can reach a higher state of consciousness in her performances. In 2010 her performance, An Artist Is Present, took place in the Museum of Modern Art. Galleries and Museums are becoming popular performance spaces for many artists, typically artists showing exhibitions or installations.

The Tate Modern Gallery in London has three large oil tanks that are in the foundations of the building, these will ‘become a unique setting for artists’ installations and performances, including, dance, music, the spoken word and film’ (Online www.tate.org.uk).

Art is more accessible in today’s society, this is partly due to the performance spaces broadening out but is is also due to the media and the internet, in particular popular social networking sites such as, Facebook and Twitter. With the help of the internet, it is now possible for an audience to access a performance from the comfort of their own home. The performer can be in one location and their audience in another, this opens up many opportunities for performers to explore.

The familiar question at the end of a show is ‘Did you like it?’, a common response, ‘Yeah but I didn’t really understand it’. There is a misconception about art and performances, which is that they are trying to get something across to their audience; that they all have deep meanings and morals, when in actual fact they don’t. Some artists do things for the most simple reason there is: because they want to. I think this type of art is becoming more accepted as it is becoming more well known.

 

 

WORKS CITED

Tate (2012) Performance and Installation Spaces Online: www.tate.org.uk (accessed: February 25th) 

 

Joseph Beuys planting the Oak trees.

Joseph Beuys was a German sculptor, Political Leader, founded the German Green Party, Musician, Teacher, installation artist, graphic artist, art theorist.

Throughout his career, Beuys created over 70 actions (performance days), approximately 50 installations, participated in 130 solo exhibits, the nature of his work is to not be fixed or finished. His performances and sculptures looked at the idea of transformation. The performance which demonstrates this the greatest is one of his final pieces 7000 Oaks.

In this performance he simply does what he says, his idea was to plant 7000 oak trees around Manhatten. Alongside each tree is a basalt stone, the pieces together create a contrast of organic materials against the urban landscape. Each tree would be a monument, consisting of a living part, the tree, which is changing and growing all the time. The oak tree was used as it is a slowly growing tree. This was a symbol used to show the transformation of all life, of all society and the whole ecological system. Unfortuantely Beuys only managed to plant 5,500 oaks before passing away, his son stepped in to complete the project his father had begun.

As Beuys was a sculpture his works included a variety of materials. In many of his performances he used fat and felt. I Like America and America Likes Me was his famous performance with a Coyote where he boarded a plane from Germany to New York. Before getting out of the plane he was blindfolded and transported to an apartment in an old ambulance. Once in the room, he took the blindfold off and spent three days and three nights with the Coyote. He covered himself in a large piece of felt, this was eventually ripped off him by the Coyote. He found that he could manipulate the Coyote to behave like him. For instance when he would lay down, the Coyote would too. A stack of papers were brought to the room each day and each day the Coyote would urinate on them. Beuys believes that this was an insight into the Coyote’s opinions on American society. The performance ended the same way it began, Beuys was blindfolded, left the room and was transported back to the plane in an old ambulance and flew back to Germany. He never saw America.

WORKS CITED

W, Wyatt (2010) Joseph Beuys w/Coyote Online: www.youtube.com (accessed: February 15th)

Main/Base Idea: Conforming to societies idea’s of ‘The Perfect’

Compositional elements to think about:

-Entrances and Exits

-Music

-Images

-How to stage actual performance

-Duration

I am currently at the stage where I need to make some serious decisions about how I am going to stage the show, what technical elements I want to include, the time frame I want to complete my performance in and my entrances and exits.

Entrance options – Begin sat in front of the camera before it is turned on, bare face, hair back, ready to start straight away.

– Walk in and sit down, hair wet-do I dry the hair?- hair pulled back, wash face, shows the clensing preparation ready to be made beautiful.

– Walk in and sit down ready to start, no preparation.

 

So far I have decided that I will be sat at a large table, with large mirrors placed in front of me, mirrors only I can see. There will be a camera placed in front of my face which will capture the process of creating ‘the perfect look/face’.

Surrounding me will be images of celebrities, models etc that are described as being perfect. I will individually take an image and re-create it onto my face and take a photo when the final look is complete. The original and new photo’s will be hung on a wall together, this wall will eventually be full of photo’s.

The table that I sit at will contain all make-up, products, remover and any other items I use throughout the performance. While I will be in a studio re-creating the images, I would like the camera feed to be recording as well as projecting in various places. These places include the TV screens in the LPAC foyer, a projection in another studio and possibly over the internet.

When I have completed the 6-hour process, the final hour will begin with opening the studio doors and allowing the audience to come and view the studio as a type of exhibition. The process which was recorded earlier will be streamed onto a wall but at an increased rate, this is so the audience can see what has been going on throughout the day so they have a clearer understanding of what they are looking at.

As well as the photo wall. the make-up table and the screening, I have been contemplating having a ‘perfect’ wall. This will contain other people’s views on what ‘the perfect’ is. I would also like to have a comments area, to gain feedback from my audience about their opinions on the performance.