LondonCSM

PERFORMANCE AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY, SITE SPECIFIC PIECE.
DURATION 2 HOURS.

THIS WORK WAS DONE IN RESPONSE TO THE CENTRAL DOME OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY. WITH EVERYONE LOOKING AT THE PAINTINGS AND SEEING A LOT OF WEIRY BODIES SLUMPED ONTO THE MANY BENCHES AROUND THE GALLERY, I FELT THERE WAS A NEEDED INJECTION OF STIMULUS TO BE HAD. SOMETHING TO DISRUPT THE NORMATIVE FLOW OF THE GALLERY SPACE. INFLUENCED BY THE RELIEF SCULPTURE AND VARIOUS COLLECTIONS OF SPECTACULAR ART ON THE CEILING OF THE DOME AND THE SURROUNDING ROOMS, I DECIDED TO CREATE THIS PERFORMANCE PIECE. THE PIECE CONSISTED OF A GIANT PILLOW WITH SEVERAL STRAPS TO ACT AS PULLYS, SIX FOOTMEN AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE HISTORY FROM THE ARTWORK ON THE CEILING. I LEARNT ABOUT THE WORK, THE SYMBOLISM AND ANY OTHER IMPORTANT FACTS SO THAT I CAN ACT AS A TOUR GUIDE. AN AUDIENCE MEMBER WAS INVITED TO COME AND LYE ON THE PILLOW, WHILE THREE OF THE SIX FOOTMEN PULL THE PARTICIPANT AOURND THE 5 ROOMS THAT MAKE UP THE DOME ROOMS, THE OTHER THREE FOOTMEN STAND AROUND THE ROOM AND SAWP WHEN THE FIRST THREE BEGIN TO GET TIRED. AS THE PARTICIPANT IS BEING PULLED AROUND THE ROOM ON THE PILLOW, I FOLLOW THEM BEHIND AND DESCRIBE TO THE PERSON LAYING DOWN NOW LOOKING UP AT THE CEILING, ALL ABOUT THE UNDOCUMENTED WORK.
THE COSTUMES WERE AN ODE TO THE CENTURY OF THE WORK (1500 TO 1600) THAT THE ROOMS DISPLAYED, I WANTED TO HAVE A REFERENCE TO IT WHILE BRINING IT INTO THE MODERN DAY.