Performance Art: Mall Mannequins

I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out what to do for my performance art, and before I knew it i was on my flight home to New York.  I thought about it during the break, and realized that posing as mannequins in the mall during the holiday shopping would not only be the perfect spot for a large audience, but it would also be kind of fun.  Who did I find as soon as I stepped foot in my mall?  My adorable neighbor and her best friend; two girls that LOVE to be in front of the camera.  Once I told them about the project, they begged for the fun opportunity and of course I was thrilled to let them do it.  As I thought about what it could mean, I felt that posing as mannequins symbolizes societies desire for perfection.  Whether it is about body image or clothing, people today go to ridiculous lengths to achieve what they see as "perfection."  It has come to a point where we would rather be plastic than be ourselves.

During the filming of this, it took me a little while to realize I could easily hide the camera on a table of clothes, and so for a while a was fumbling while trying to conceal it in my coat pocket.  Also, although it was able to pick up some sound, there were many comments made by passerby that are not heard in the video, but that were very comical.  The overall reaction from everyone in the store was either being completely oblivious, or shocked and confused.  Eventually, we were asked to leave by an employee collecting hangers that jolted and dropped them as she bumped into one of my little "mannequins."  Oops...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29GebSX6NgM

Breaking Down the 1980's breakdance

After watching numerous youtube clips of the street dance sensation that thrived remarkably in the 80's, my first conclusion was that it was something I could never do.  For anyone that may have strolled by the gangs of hood rats spreading out their cardboard boxes and spinning on the floor, breakdancing could have looked like utter nonsense.  However, for anyone that can see what true strength, time, and talent is needed to be able to do these moves, breakdancing is clearly an art form. I say that strength is one of the key factors because of the ridiculous amounts of upper body strength that I witnessed in every video I viewed.  Dancers could spin, jump, walk, bounce, and probably any other verb, all while on their hands.  There were handstands, backflips, lifts, and more that just further proved the muscular ability of these dancers.  Many of the videos that I watched involved breakdance teams, and this is where the factor of time comes into play.  These teams of usually 4 or 5 dancers would do their incredible dances and stunts in perfect synchronicity.  They would flip with or over each other, and perform other stunts made for more than one person.  I couldn't imagine being a single dancer and having to memorize and perfect all that is involved in breakdance, so imagining what it is like to have to learn these things as a team is pretty impossible.  The thought process that is needed to create these dances is in itself incredible; figuring out how different dancers will work together to produce a unique performance takes a great mind.  Then, to think of the amount of time needed to learn and practice these dances is just exhausting, and you have to commend the dancers for their dedication.  Finally, there were some moves in the videos that I watched that simply had no explanation.  What I mean is, there is no amount of strength or time that could explain how the move was perfected, just simply talent.  Many of these moves usually involved slow motion or isolation of certain parts of the body, and they took rhythm and concentration to perform.  The dancers make everything they do look so easy, but when it comes down to it, only a minority of those talented and dedicated enough can pull it off.

Xerox Project: Getting Handsy

My xerox project was a little bit like an experiment.  I decided to do it on the fluorescent light in my room with hopes that when the light turned on it would look completely different.  I wanted the layering of the different body parts to shine through to produce something new.  I had a really fun time putting this all together, and despite looking completely insane to the poor, old librarians as I asked to scan myself, this was my favorite project so far.  

Archetype vs. Stereotype

So what is an archetype?  In class, we watched many clips on the life of Orlan, and she spoke towards the end of how her life was about breaking away from archetypes, or what is considered typical.  To me, it is very clear that this was her life goal, and I feel that she executed it perfectly.  She broke away from the norm, and did things for herself and not to impress others.  When I first heard the word archetype, I truly had never heard it used before.  My immediate thought was that it would have a similar definition to the word stereotype.  However, an archetype is something that is typical, while a stereotype is a fixed image that people hold to be true, although it is often oversimplified and sometimes offensive.  I am honestly glad for this quick assignment and feel much better about understanding the difference between the two words.