Reality check….check one, check…..check…is this thing on?
posted by: Nathan Stevens 03rd August 2009Veteran festival performing artist, Andy Forbes reality check.
Locally-based provocateur and festival art-scene veteran Andy Forbes was introduced to the group today. As the artists emerged consolidated after the past two weeks, the SAA (Splendid Arts Army), Andy grounded the group into the festival context by introducing his past work(s) from the Splendour in the Grass festival, providing a chance for the group consider their audience and how this would affect the generation, development, and creation of the artwork(s).
Introducing the lab to extravagant stage sets and over-the-top performative productions such as Trance Planet, Wacko and Blotto, Cleavers Family Wreckers, and the Church of Two Hands and a Chicken, Andy framed the process from conceptual design to implementation and walked the group through the (sur)reality of developing and creating large-scale, interactive works for the festival. Challenging the relationships between the performer and the audience, breaking through the fourth wall, social stratification between viewers, and subversion vs. reinforcement in audience interaction were all topics of discussion.
Leaving the sanctity and safety of the white cube or stage, the Splendid Ten were reminded of the realities of the Splendour festival venue. Renegade beer projectiles, bullwhips, drunken slam dancing clowns, and hammer wielding motorheads are all very real possibilities that need to be considered when producing work on this scale (at least for Andy and crew!).
Andy and his work have inspired the group to re-assess the boundaries between art, entertainment and performance. How does the group make art for 20,000 amped up party-goers, that can withstand the elements, and also remain true to each artists vision, principles, and creative ethics? How does a group of like-minded individuals collaborate to create real work for real people of many diverse wants and needs?
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