Analysis

I decided to analyze Jackie Goertz's endurance piece.

Jackie's piece consisted of her walking in a circle between Reimer and Teft dorms, directly in front of the dumpster. She was wearing a plain medium-length black dress, barefoot. Her hands were constantly held up under her chin, and she had dark eye makeup. The sun had not risen high enough to be directly on her, so this large alcove housed her in a type of twilight. She continued in the same circle, but hedged in as we approached. She was limping slightly every now and then, maybe because there is broken glass and other small sharp objects strewn by the dumpster. She looked up every now and then, but she did it in a way that didn't require any interaction with the audience.

I liked it because not only did it give me an emotional response along the lines of wanting to help her, but it reminded me of when I was younger and would walk everywhere barefoot because I didn't like shoes. Sometimes it was pleasant, like she described in her statement, like walking in grass or soft mud, and other times, it was on sharp rocks and small sticks. I got my feet into a lot of trouble then, and still do, especially this semester for some reason; I've had more than a few foot related injuries. So I did want to help her but I also wanted her to continue because it gave off a really beautiful vibe. It gave me the feeling that it was an attempt to recapture memories as a kid, but as a tragic, melancholy failure. Here she is in the shade of a dumpster, circling like a ghost that became the product of her dimming childhood left by the wayside now that she's in college. I think that all of the elements worked extremely well together: the location, the lighting, the dress, the acting, and the circular motion.