On September 21st 2018, at Jupiter Studios in Alliance, Ohio my new performance painting technique using a robotic vacuum cleaner to make art was debuted as part of a show to help support organ donors and others with chronic medical issues.
During the opening of the art exhibition that accompanied the event, I provided a 2.5 hour performance painting as part of the entertainment. The performance included my new abstract expressionist technique that focuses on typical physical therapy movements, mindfulness mediation, and placement of the artist as an obstacle for a robotic vacuum cleaner while paint is being applied to a 6 foot by 6 foot canvas. The new performance based technique is part of an ongoing development if my work that focuses on the combination of self portrait and performance to create a piece of art that serves as a record of not only my experience and presence as a human at a specific point in time but as a commentary on the use of everyday technology and a chosen space to generate a spectacle which resonates with the viewer outside of that specific time and space.
For this specific piece, it is the first in a plan to create multiple works that engage both disabled and non disabled people in a conversation about art creation. With technological advances, ti has become easier and easier for artist to rely heavily on technology as the specialist that drives the overarching engagement with a piece of art. With this and future work I am forming a relationship with the technology so that I am learning from it and fostering it essence as an art making tool while it learns from me in real time as the painting takes shape.
An additional component of the work is the use of meditational and physical movement practices that are part of not only my daily life but the life of the majority of people who have to create lifestyles that incorporate specific movements on a daily basis so that they can participate in our society. From a hearing impaired person practicing ASL, to a quadraphonic having a care giver run through a routine of massage to prevent atrophy, a range of our population participates in a form of personal maintenance on the psychological and physical;l levels just to be able to exist with sense of humanity.
In the videos below you can see a portion of the performance in real time and a hyper-lapse of the complete performance. The performance signifies both mental and physical routines that I practice daily to actively take control and push back against the limitations that i experience both physical and mentally. Through this performance I chose a specific mantra which is the title if the piece. This mantra was chosen for the debut of this work to call to attention the juxtaposition of spectators seeing someone push themselves through a mental and physical endurance race which creates the idea of “ability” while internally the artist unseen to the viewer is fighting with every inch of their being to negate the pain and weakness caused by the movements that are performed.
The painting itself is titled “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstoood”.
Below are some images of the finished painting which is 6’x6′ on primed canvas using tempera paints. For inquiries about purchasing or exhibition of this work please contact me through my contact page.
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