Performance Critical Analysis

Alexander Kozacheck's piece was an effective endurance performance in communicating the emotive implications of juvenile punishment. The artist was dressed in semi-casual attire and sat hunched and facing the corner of a white wall. These simple elements contributed to the idea of a young schoolchild being reprimanded. He also strategically placed himself on a stool at the bottom of a expansive staircase. The result was a powerful implementation of forced perspective. The artist looked insignificant, subordinate, and almost forgotten at the bottom of the staircase. By positioning the audience at a higher altitude, Alex allowed viewers the role of superiors; adults. By exposing his back to the audience, Alex also (whether intentionally or not) forfeited the control and awareness of his surroundings to the audience.

The piece fits the "endurance" concept very well. One can imagine the excruciating strain on the back and loss of blood in the legs from trying to sit perfectly still on a stool for three hours. There is also the aspect of mental fatigue, or becoming anxious and weary. It took no convincing to understand the discipline involved in achieving that kind of extended stillness, as anyone could relate to. Thus, the piece was easy to appreciate as well as interesting to witness.

I personally felt pity in viewing the performance (especially the closer I came down the stairs), which is certainly what Alex was hoping to evoke when he addresses in his performance statement: "I will be attempting to recreate a punishment often used on children to show the Barbarity of the punishment used on children." This pity was enhanced as I walked back up the stairs, leaving the patient sufferer alone to bear his "punishment".

Endurance Piece

For my piece I decided to meditate outside while i was blind folded. The reason for the blind fold was so I could experience what it felt like to be a blind person. For me it felt so weird not being able to see, all i could do was hear what was around me. I could hear people talking, screaming, music,birds, and cars driving by.

Critical Analysis of Devon Rinn's Piece

As I approached the bench between the Baressi and Cannon dorms, I saw a figure collapsed on the bench. Her head flopped backwards and her arms and legs were completely limp. As i came closer, I realized who this morbid character was. Here was Devon, in almost all black (except for her socks), sprawled across the bench looking very much "dead." I had not read her artist statement ahead of time but I knew right away what she was trying to portray. It was pretty obvious from the way she sat and how she had done her makeup.

I loved the lighting on her when we went to view her performance. The sun was very intense and made it seem as if she had died during the night and was just left on the bench for the morning. It made me wonder what her "cause of death" had been. I also couldn't help but stare at her. I almost hoped I would catch her move. I wondered if Garrett's cigarette smoke was going to bother her and show on her face when the wind blew it by her. But she really impressed me by how motionless she was, even her breathing was extremely shallow. I want to know if anyone approached the bench and worried that she really was dead. It would be interesting to see how many good samaritans there were that would call for help or see if she was ok.

The fact that Garrett was next to her smoking was a funny coincidence. It did seem to look like she had died from second hand smoke or that she was a look into the future as to what would happen to Garrett.

The one thing that did bother me about the piece was that she was fighting for attention between Garrett and Lauren's piece. It was kinda like she was squished in between them. I feel like her piece would have been much stronger if she was all alone.

First sound project

Automita

Final: The Coldness of Death

For my piece, I died.

Well, looked like I did. I put on my best funerary clothes, and painted my face, and slumped myself on that bench. I endured the cold and pain of my arms falling asleep. I also managed to keep a straight face while everyone came to see us. I was listening to them talking about me, and commenting on how I must have died from secondhand smoke from Garret Colbert. I wanted to be able to laugh with them, and be able to stick my hands in my pockets.

On the bench, I felt like such a party pooper for spring. All around me were birds tweeting, and buds growing on the tree, and here I was, dead.