Rooms – Page 7 – ________-Safe House-_________

Unsettling environments

Andrew Tinley / March 18, 2013April 13, 2013 / Music / Sound, Performance process, Rooms

What makes a home different?

At home you are generally safe, comfortable and mostly in control of what comes in and out. You feel guarded somehow from the outside world right? I find the places and sites where we spend most of our lives begin to build up a barrier of familiarity, and a sense of understanding. You become well acquainted with the place, whether it be because of its furnishings or maybe even its inhabitants.

So the real question here is ‘What makes a familiar place unfamiliar’? Is it something to do with space, its temperature, its contents? All these things make your home special and unique to you. So I’ve decided to make the kitchen, probably one of the most lived in spaces of the house, different. I feel as though if audience members don’t feel comfortable in an environment their actions and opinions may be more interesting to explore during the performance. The various sounds of a kitchen, which I’ve been experimenting with, will certainly add to that unfamiliarity if edited and manipulated correctly. I find myself editing sounds constantly and changing the way they almost speak to an audience member. What happens when you’re trying to have a conversation with someone who speaks a different language – It all sounds like unknown noise and it’s difficult to communication and understand what is going on.
[peekaboo_link start=”visible”] Warning! Contains Performance Spoliers [/peekaboo_link][peekaboo_content name=”Spoilers” start=”hidden”]

Messing with people’s perceptions about what to expect is what Daniel Kurkakovic’s sound project called Other Rooms, Other Voices is linked to. Firstly his title, “I hoped there would be the recognition of something familiar, but on the other, I intended the inversion would cause a certain confusion” ((Weiner, Lawerence et al (1998) other rooms other voices Switzerland: Memory cage editions. ) )). Firstly the word “other” is very vague and could have a large scope of different meanings. This gap between familiarity and unfamiliarity could be potentially quite small. This is the place where I would like my audience to settle in during the performance, to know that they are familiar with certain aspects of the performance but not fully in control due to the changing soundscape and environment.

Kurkakovic states

“I am interested in the association, which can awaken a very personal story or anecdote of the listener…the tension may then lead to the following questions: Where is my voice? Where is my own perceptual ability?” ((Weiner, Lawerence et al (1998) other rooms other voices Switzerland: Memory cage editions. ) )) Audience questioning is a heavy part of my performance and the ability to access those thoughts will be crucial to the individual unique performative experience.

(Weiner, Lawerence et al (1998) other rooms other voices Switzerland: Memory cage editions)
“Beescope uses the main medium of radio: language. In itself, language does not have any meaning. It generates meaning depending on how it is used” ((Weiner, Lawerence et al (1998) other rooms other voices Switzerland: Memory cage editions. ) )) Recording and importing kitchen sounds on their own sound like random noises collaborated together, but I do believe the interpretation and manipulation creates its own voice. This therefore enables audience members to have the scope to explore and discover ideas and thoughts for themselves throughout the soundscape.

(Images taken by myself Tuesday 12th March 2013 source: Flickr)

This feeling of unsettlement and unknowing is exactly how I want my audience to feel, to undergo a journey of their own personal discovery through the connotations which the soundscape ignite for them. To enhance this experience I have decided to make the room red. The colour red has many contrasting and different connotations which will hopefully add to the confusion and uncertainty. I will also be adding several heaters to the environment to make it quite warm, stuffy and claustrophobic this should hopefully make the environment quite unsettling and unfamiliar. Making the audience listen to the soundscape in this stationary environment may make the headphones seem safe. This may force the audience to keep listening and therefore continue the performance. The fact that the environment is so still may add to the tension and the nervousness created by the soundscape.

Overall I aim for the audience to feel unsettled in this room and so hopefully their own experiences can be delved in to, therefore producing an individual, unique personal experience for everyone involved. [/peekaboo_content]

Nudity in Performance

Jake Robinson / March 13, 2013May 10, 2013 / Performance process, Rooms

The extra space which we have in the main bedroom, the huge cupboard, has been a source of much debate in our group.

Taken 01/02/2013 by Jozey Wade

It has been a sticking point for our performance in terms of its best usage. It is a space too powerful to abandon but also very difficult to incorporate into a piece centred in a bedroom. We have recently, however, come upon a use for the space which fits perfectly into our theme of mixing childhood and adulthood. The cupboard will be an ultra sexual space in which there will be a naked female. A submissive female to be more precise. She will be tied up, covered in baby oil and gagged. We hope that the cupboard will show very vividly the sexual nature of the bedroom.

When this idea was first discussed we were unsure, firstly, whether the sex of the submissive would change the way in which our Voyeur reacted to them. And secondly what the differing reactions would entail and whether this would lead our performances in a different direction. Toepfer believes that “even to an entirely female audience, female performers who expose their breasts will appear more “naked” than male performers who expose their bare chests” ((Toepfer, Karl (1996) ‘Nudity and Textuality in Postmodern Performance’, Performing Arts Journal, 18 (3) September: pp.76-91. P.76)) following this believe we thought that it would be best, in the sense of getting a greater reaction from our Voyeur, to have female performers naked in the cupboard.

The idea to have a naked female in the cupboard was always to push boundaries, for an audience to see something out of the ordinary. By no means did we think that an audience would see something completely original as there have been performances such as the work of Carolee Schneemann which have included female nudity. However we did want something which would come as a shock to our Voyeur. Rupert Everett’s statements in an interview for the BBC are therefore quite worrying, he says that “in the old days it (nudity) used to throw an uneasy frost across an auditorium but these days I think people really enjoy it and we got a lot more bums on seats because of the nudity – bums on seats and bums on stage” ((Masters, Tim (2013) Actors reveal challenges of stage nudity, Online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21654036 accessed 11 March 2013)) this begs some questions for our piece. Is the nudity going to have the effect which we desire it to? And will our audience be shocked by the nudity or will it simply become something which they would expect when coming to view a bedroom performance?

The nudity that we were showing had to have something which was more than simple just a naked human body. The nakedness had to be just one part of a much larger character which we were building. Returning to Toepfer he says that “the voice is as much a part of the body as any organ, and the capacity of a body to speak means that a completely unclothed body, with genitals exposed, can become more “naked” or signify even greater vulnerability by speech emanating from it, speech addressed to it, or speech about it” ((Toepfer, Karl (1996) ‘Nudity and Textuality in Postmodern Performance’, Performing Arts Journal, 18 (3) September: pp.76-91. P.77)). Using the voice on top of and in relation to the naked human body makes the naked form far more powerful to our Voyeur.

Following this idea we have incorporated a headphone system. The Voyeur will be told to put the headphones on immediately they enter the room and will be read a narrative by the naked woman in the cupboard. It is a narrative which only they will be able to hear. There are two narratives, differing for the sexes. The male narrative is more explicit while the female looks for understanding and sympathy.

The voyeur will have the nakedness of the woman attacking two of their senses simultaneously. They will be completely consumed by the woman in the cupboard, developing emotions towards her, whatever these may be. We hope to make it an extremely personal experience which the Voyeur will be sharing with the naked performer.

Over Exposure.

Lauren Bethany Elouise Watson / March 11, 2013May 8, 2013 / Documentation, Research, Rooms

“Even to an entirely female audience, female performers who expose their
breasts will appear more “naked” than male performers who expose their bare chests” ((Toepfer, Karl (1996) ‘Nudity and Textuality in Postmodern Performance’, Performing Arts Journal, XVIII (3) September: pp. 76-91, p. 76.)).

Nudity in performance exploits the performers’ innate position of vulnerability, exposing everything, giving them nothing to hide and nothing to act behind. Leaving all inhibitions at the door, revealing and performing the most intimate parts of yourself to strangers. Although nudity is becoming more common place within the theatre, with the mantra “bums on seats and bums on stage” ((Masters, Tim (2012) ‘Actors reveal challenges of stage nudity’, BBC News, Online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-2165403 (accessed 06 March 2013).)), often filling the auditorium and having a greater pull of an audience. Nudity no longer “throw[s] an uneasy frost across an auditorium” ((Masters, Tim (2012) ‘Actors reveal challenges of stage nudity’, BBC News, Online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-2165403 (accessed 06 March 2013). )) when done with sensitivity and distance. However, what would happen if we brought this nudity closer the audience, and placed it in such a space in which they couldn’t escape?

Having a narrative played to an audience member, leading and coaxing their reactions, and encouraging them to interact with a naked performer changes the dynamics of a performance beyond recognition as the performance is no longer ‘safe’. Being ‘naked’ is accepted, but to be naked and chained. Or bound. Gagged? To have no voice or identity, and just to be a naked object. An object to be possessed and owned could be highly unnerving to the audience.

Carolee Schneemann, Up To and Including Her Limits. Photo: Courtesy Henrik Gaard
Carolee Schneemann (1996),’ Up To and Including Her Limits’ photo: Courtesy Henrik Gaard in Karl Toepfer ‘Nudity and Textuality in Postmodern Performance’, Performing Arts Journal, XVIII (3) September: pp. 76-91, p. 81.

“This potential of the nude performing body to shock, incite, frighten, disgust, or otherwise produce intense emotional turbulence” ((Toepfer, Karl (1996) ‘Nudity and Textuality in Postmodern Performance’, Performing Arts Journal, XVIII (3) September: pp. 76-91, p. 77. )) can be considered as pushing the boundaries of performance and what we call art. Showing a naked woman in a compromising position will shock any audience member who views the piece, making them question what they deem acceptable as ‘performance’. For the woman to show herself, and not a character, is a brave thing to do. No aesthetics of performance to hide behind, no fake identity, no alternate reality.

Being naked, and exposed is a challenge.

To let others see you in such a demeaning position. Those who are your elders, superiors, friends, peers and strangers. Hiding behind nothing but handcuffs and a thin layer of baby oil.

I am not a professional performance artist, this isn’t my job. Although…for this performance, I guess I am. Trying to forget the pre-established relationships is the hardest block I have come across as “in the act of stripping, actor and character become indistinguishable: the flesh that is exposed by the character is the actor’s flesh” ((Scolnicov, Hanna (2010) ‘Stripping as Gesture’, ASSAPH: Section C: Studies in the Theatre, XXIV, pp. 139-152, p. 139.)).

“Stripping is a radical and unique gesture because it collapses the gap between the actor and the character” ((Scolnicov, Hanna (2010) ‘Stripping as Gesture’, ASSAPH: Section C: Studies in the Theatre, XXIV, pp. 139-152, p. 150.))

The reactions.
Forcing the audience to share something intimate about themselves by them possibly showing their raw reactions . Personally, I find this thought comforting. Knowing that the audience members are also ‘stripping bare’ while we were literally stripped bare offers some sort of comfort – the audience is also being placed in a slightly compromising position, while at the same time, witnessing us in, and simultaneously adding to our established comprised position.

“Detached from the desirability of bodies, mythic nudity invites the spectator to emulate without “anxiety,” the naked identity of the performer: all bodies become “the same,” since it is the condition of nakedness, not the condition of bodies” ((Toepfer, Karl (1996) ‘Nudity and Textuality in Postmodern Performance’, Performing Arts Journal, XVIII (3) September: pp. 76-91, p. 79.)).

Toepfer argues that “all bodies become “the same,”” ((Toepfer, Karl (1996) ‘Nudity and Textuality in Postmodern Performance’, Performing Arts Journal, XVIII (3) September: pp. 76-91, p. 79.)) due to the exposure, then our naked bodies might strike a chord with the audience members.

Getting naked in performance is not a new idea, or even so much a radical one for modern audiences. But for me, personally, it “is a radical and even violent theatrical gesture” ((Scolnicov, Hanna (2010) ‘Stripping as Gesture’, ASSAPH: Section C: Studies in the Theatre, XXIV, pp. 139-152, p. 141.)). By doing this performance, and getting over personal reservations and boundaries has made me a stronger performer. And, arguably, person. To know I have the power to push past pre-set social and personal restraints is liberating. Personal reservations? Personal revelations is perhaps more fitting.

When does a performance become an experience?

Andrew Tinley / March 7, 2013April 13, 2013 / Documentation, Music / Sound, Rooms

“Art does not provide answers or solutions, but is rather a questioning, which should be as clear as possible so that the listeners can look for answers themselves” ((Weiner, Lawerence et al (1998) other rooms other voices Switzerland: Memory cage editions))

I feel like constant questioning and engagement not only makes the audience feel a part of the performance but also provides them with an individual, potential performative experience which only they can be involved in. This experience can then be discussed and shared through dialogue or kept private depending on their approval during or after the performance. What would happen if the audience physically got involved in the communication of language through playing and experimenting with the sounds of a kitchen?

(Weileder, Wolfgang House Projects (2005), http://www.house-projects.com/ (accessed 13th April)

“The interface between space and time defines Wolfgang Weileder’s central field of artistic activity” ((Weileder , Wolfgang (2005) House-Projects Manchester: Cornerhouse publications)) Weileder worked with a range of architectural structures and sites to form a relationship and response to the art he provokes, starts or aids. In House he converses how he provokes discussion and interaction during the performance. In traditional theatre performances audience follow the conventional rule of not talking, this is so the actors do not get distracted and therefore change their actions and words to make the performance different to how it should be, and so, change its overall intention. Intentions of performances are quite limiting and I think the broader you are the more flexible and exciting the art can be to create and to experience. Making a piece different every night moves it from a performance to an experience.

What happens when audiences talk to each other?

The power of discussion will surely enhance the creation and therefore change the initial intention of the piece. The idea of an ephemeral, tangible piece of art is something which excites me as a performer – to know that your idea can change and be interpreted differently depending on the receiver makes the performance have more personalisation and potentially makes it more of an experience for each audience member. Using senses to trigger peoples’ emotions, especially in such a accustomed site would be quite an easy task to do, but putting an audience member in a familiar room with unfamiliar settings and control – this is where their memories may not link so logically. Which would make the experience much more individual, unique and different.

To use a pre-performance audience (due to our limited performance run) as a base to then work with, those memories and connotations could potentially be a path in which would locate and humanise what I am creating. This link to peoples’ lives and own experiences, whether they be domestic or not, will hopefully aid me in my creations but more importantly understand what type of material is surfacing so I can have some creative control in the final performance.

(Mobile Art Production (2011) The role of the audience inside contemporary art and theatre online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v7bLdISHvE (accessed 1^st March 2013)
The video above states the idea of “being inside an artwork”, she discusses an audio experience in which she felt included by someone talking to her through her headphones. The feeling of someone being that close to you in one way, depending on what they are saying, is quite unnerving but I do believe that you, as an audience member, will very rarely challenge their words if it’s an unknown voice, so whether it is realistic or not I strongly believe the element of control is with the sound inside the headphones. This excites me as a creator and potential performer because I feel as if I can pre-determine the outcome and experiment with fiction. Rational and logical thinking disappears when you can’t visually see who you are talking to meaning that the normal conventional conversation rules wouldn’t apply. To provoke an unnatural experience is quite exciting and so by doing this audience members will automatically, due to the context and surroundings be placed temporarily in to an unfamiliar state of mind.

I think it’s the responses which give the audience a chance to delve in to their own individual experience and not the literal performance itself.

Things that go bump in the dark.

Lizzy Hayes / March 6, 2013May 13, 2013 / CCTV, Documentation, Performance process, Research, Rooms

For our final piece the CCTV group decided to create a piece of installation art using the fascinating piece of equipment at our disposal. Marita Sturken states that “An installation both defines and contains space, situating, if not controlling the viewer within it.” (( Erika Suderburg (2000) Space, Site, Intervention: situating installation art. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. P. 287 )) The idea for our piece was that while in the CCTV room the audience would be able to experience every other room in the house, placing them in a position where they could understand the format and use of the space in a way that they had not experienced it in the rest of the performance. Seeing as all of the rooms were occupied during the performance we decided to see what it would be like for the rooms to be captured with very few signs of life, and once we realised the potential that this emptiness created we decided to stick with it.

Full screen night filming by Lizzy Hayes, Lauren Hughes, Faye Mcdool
Seeing the rooms from a different perspective reminded me of Bollnows Human Spaces (2011) and how different each of our safe house rooms were from the definitions and purposes he proposed. Bollnow states that the furnishings and furniture play a part in the aura of a room and that “bare, empty rooms have a chilling effect” ((Bollnow, O.F (2011) “Human Space” London: Hyphen Press, p. 144)) and that “disorder and neglect have a quieting effect” ((Bollnow, O.F (2011) “Human Space” London: Hyphen Press, p. 144)) and due to the empty and neglected state the house was in it was easy to agree with him.
The emptiness and neglected state of the house became emphasised in the dark state that we filmed in.

Image by Jozey Wade 2013

The cot room (above) had a chilling, spooky quality to it that does not represent home, even in the day light. As many of the ‘residents’ have mentioned, we doubt that the room would feel that bad if it wasn’t for the presence of the cot itself. But I think it was key for us to remember when filming was that the room was made to feel so unsettling on purpose. The true nurturing purpose of a child’s nursery is lost in a sort of dark translation in the house due its requirements for training and we were able to use that to our advantage when filming, making the images we captured as uncomfortable as the actor being filmed felt.

Installation piece- Cot Room By Lizzy Hayes, Lauren Hughs, Faye Mcdool

Other spaces that in the day time might not be pleasant, but had never been scary, transformed beyond what I imagined they would. The kitchen became colder and harsher and the introduction of a spot light to the living room gave the opposite effect to the warmth that we expected.
Instead of just filming the bare rooms we had one of us walk through or occupy the space in a minimalistic manner. Bollnow suggested that “the dwelling becomes an impression of the individual who dwells in it” ((Bollnow, O.F (2011) “Human Space” London: Hyphen Press, p. 145)) and I think that in capturing snippets of life in each room we were in effect stating that the people who were seen are not permanent residents, but are instead shadows passing through. These hints of movement acted as suggestions of life in an otherwise still setting. Without realising it I think we created something very much like Gary Hills installation piece, The Viewer, which I talked about in a previous post, in that the person seen in each image was not there to be interacted with or to portray a character, but were there to prove their existence.
The final result of this nights filming was nine separate one minute clips of footage, each representing one room and containing a different movement at a different time.