analysis

In this piece, two young men walked back and forth, opposite each other in a confined space designated by sticks they had set out on top of a hill. On each end of their walkway was a pile of fairly large rocks. Each pass they made, they would uniformly pick up a rock and carry it back to their respective sides. They would never touch or speak to each other and would have to turn to the side as they passed one another. They also wore work gloves.

The visual proved to be very intriguing. Even though the performers were so set in their work, they would never accomplish anything, the piles never changed size and though they were in a large open field, they could never actually go anywhere. The piece just embodied futility. Even the fact that they wore gloves to prevent their hands from being changed by the repetitive action added to the theme.

I also enjoyed the rhythmic sound to the stones being lifted and set down in contrast to the organic, non-sequential sounds of birds chirping in the background. Just as their man-made confined space contrasted with the open field they were in.