endurance performance

For my performance, I scrubbed a bus stop with a toothbrush for three hours. I did not allow myself to speak to or make eye contact with anyone during the piece. I also refused to move out of the way for anyone.

Throughout the time I was there, many people came through to wait for their buses. I could tell that I was making them uncomfortable. Many people wouldn't even come into the bus stop- they would just stand outside and stare. Some tried to speak to me and became frustrated when I wouldn't answer- some just laughed.

It was a very strange experience for me. There were times where I was so fixed on my task that I couldn't think of anything else. I would just scrub so furiously that I would scrape my knuckles on the pavement. Other times, my mind would wander and my scrubbing would slow down. The task was painful. My hands and feet became so cold that I couldn't feel them any longer and when I finally stood up it was difficult to walk. My knuckles and knees were scraped and bruised and my arm became very sore.

What I found to be the most interesting was the wear on my toothbrush. It was far more apparent than the physical and mental wear on my body.

When I was finished, the sun had dried the water and I could see that I did not make even the smallest impact on the bus stop. The floor was just as dirty as it had been. I however, was a mess. I was filthy, sore, cut up and both physically and mentally exhausted. Obviously the bus stop had more of an impact on me than I had had on it.