Not-Art

Tisher and I went to Carmen's weekly show Thunderdome after recording last night. It was a fun show, as it always is, with a mash-up of different improvisers and a couple other acts. There was one piece from a performance artist however that I thought lacked any artistic or performance element and seemed to display a genuine ignorance of what it is to get up in front of an audience.

This performance artist Nikki is touring the country with a box on her head. An overt expression of isolation. I thought it kind of odd but intriguing. I was looking forward to her piece anticipating it would be some kind of discussion on her experience or a performance elucidating the connectedness/disconnectedness of people in our culture. What she actually did amounted to nothing at all.

She got up on stage with her yoga instructor, asked for a couple volunteers, and proceeded to do three three minute exercise drills. The audience counted each squat, sit-up, and push up. She gave a very brief and lame intro to the piece "We connect with each other by connected with our bodies. I've been working out a lot recently to stay in shape for this tour." And that was it. No point, no idea, no message.

When you get up on stage in front of an audience you're entering into an unspoken agreement, a contract. You are saying this is something. Not that it's good, not that it'll be funny or dramatic, but that is in fact something. That it is an idea that you have thought about. That it has the possibility of being entertaining, poignant, or thought provoking. This was none of those things. I don't know what other pieces this woman has done or what her message or thrust is. I would like to know but last nights performance was ill-conceived and poorly executed.

I've seen a lot of bad performances. Sketch, improv, theater, music, performance art what have you. I don't mind if it's bad. You just have to try.