Assignment #1: Formal Project Proposal - "Refuse Repeat"

♺Refuse Repeat ♺

Performance Piece collected trash from scattered areas in Syracuse University

Photo Anna Hider
 

Photo Anna Hider

Project Components

·      Four Syracuse University Students executing the Performance Art Piece “Refuse Repeat”

·      Four Generic household black garbage sacks.

·      Four black sacks full of collected garbage found on SU campus

·      Preformed in the Quad by major walkways to allow maximum exposure to SU Students

·      One day performance on Monday the 4^th of October (Dates negotiable)

·      From 1:00PM to 1:25pm (5 sessions of 5 minutes in 5 different locations inside of the Quad)

Project Description ♻

For my performance art piece, I have decided to raise awareness to the amount of littering that is prominent on our school campus. After completing a class assignment and coming back from Oakwood cemetery on a Saturday, I walked along Comstock Ave. As soon as I passed the Woman’s Building near the brand new Life Sciences Complex, I became aware to the large quantities of party refuse that was left there from the night before. The trash included plastic red Dixie cups, crushed beer cans, cigarettes, fast food rappers and much more. This trash made me more aware of the other areas around campus (not just Comstock), that after a weekend, had evidence of littering. Areas such as Euclid, Waverly avenue and some residence halls such as BBB (Boland, Brockway, Brewster), Day, Watson, Flint Hall and even after a football game all displayed verification of the amount of littering present on our SU campus.

By completing my performance art piece, I wish not to raise awareness to the life style choices that students take but rather the mess they leave behind and their ability to make it a cleaner environment. I have careful crafted my performance to best metaphorically represent the situation. My performance is called Refuse Repeat because during my project I will be pouring out the trash in the black sacks and picking it up again to symbolize the repetition of these negative actions that happen every weekend. No only this but also the realization of the physical act, that the cleaners do after every weekend removing the trash from the SU campus.

The project is broken up into sets of five. Following the common saying, “it only takes five seconds to throw it away” I have decided that I am going to have five separate mini performances all on the Quad but in five different locations adding to my overall performance art piece. All of the scenes will be located on the major pathways and can be seen on the image below (by the red dot). In addition, the minis performances will be five minutes long equaling a twenty-five minute long overall performance. The number five is not only a reference to the widespread saying (mentioned above) but also to the actual act of throwing out trash appropriately; as we use our hands and our a hand has 5 fingers. This is also reinforced by the actual performance, as we will be picking up trash and then throwing it down again with our hands.

Photo taken from goggle maps http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+quad+syracuse+university&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

More Photos’ of the example performance. Photo by Anna Hider.

 Budget information

QTY	Cost		COST
1	$3.40	10 Generic Black Trash Bags CVS	$3.40
		TOTAL	$3.40

Concept Brief of My Performance Art idea ♵

✎Title: “The Refuse Repeat”

✎Performance type: Flash mob with environmental purpose (26 minutes long)

✎Place: Quad, Syracuse University

✎When: Monday morning after weekend parties

✎Time: 1pm, once all students are sure to be awake

✎# Of people included: 40

✎Permit requested to:

Student Centers and Programming Services:

Anthony Otero,

Assistant Director of Events Scheduling

Em@il: aotero@syr.edu

Safety Department:

David E. Pajak

Director, Risk Management,

SU Safety Department, phone: 315-443-5474

For my performance art piece, I have decided to raise awareness to the amount of littering that is prominent on our school campus. After completing a class assignment and coming back from Oakwood cemetery on a Saturday, I walked along Comstock Ave. As soon as I passed the Woman’s Building near the brand new Life Sciences Complex, I became aware to the large quantities of party refuse that was left there from the night before. The trash included plastic red Dixie cups, crushed beer cans, cigarettes, fast food rappers and much more. Being that it is a very populated party street, the rubbish was prevalent on not just one side of the street, but on driveways, other side streets and on the other walkway. By completing my performance art piece, I wish not to raise awareness to the life style choices that students take but rather the mess they leave behind. I have careful crafted my performance to best metaphorically represent the situation.

The steps needed to prepare for my performance art piece are to buy a roll of black bin liners, find 40 students to partake, rubbish from the weekend past and permission to host this event on the quad. The first step to complete my piece would be to collect all of the weekend’s past refuse from Comstock and other party populated areas and place them in 40 separate black sacks. I chose black sacks because the color black represents evil and darkness, and I want to get the point across about the negative impacts that littering has on our university campus. I have decided to get 40 people partake in my performance art piece because there is 40% Greek life present in Syracuse University. As the main percentage of rubbish collects around areas such as “Frat Row”, I thought this number would be most appropriate. Finally, the Quad; the Quad backs onto an amazing 15 campus buildings. Not only that, but it connects to many populated areas such as College Place, the Schine Student Center and the Dome; truly the Quad is the heart of Syracuse University. Therefore, to reach and influence enough people on this matter, I would want to complete my performance on the Quad around mid-day.

Now, to the good stuff; the actual actions that I and the 39 other students will be completing will be a repetitive cycle for 26 minutes. I chose 26 minutes because of the 26 fraternities at SU, and as fraternities can host parties (sororities can only be included in the fraternities’ parties). All of the students will stand in a single-file line on the paths that cut across the Quad. Each participant will be wearing normal clothes to resemble how anyone can create litter and anyone can clean up this rubbish. Then, for the actual performance piece, the 40 participants will pour out their bag of rubbish onto the Quad and then slowly pick up each item, waiting for the other participants to finish. Once the rubbish has been picked up, the first person in the single-file line will drop their trash in their black sack on the ground and then the person next to them will, and then the person next to them will drop theirs, almost creating a wave effect, repeating this again for 26 minutes.

After the 26 minutes is over, the 40 students will disperse in different directions with their black sacks, similar to the flash mob performance art style. The End ☺

Community Engagement and Performance Art Analysis ♻

At the end of our Time Arts class we went and explored the area around Marshal Street. The purpose was to look, try to understand and engage in those who were participating in the free PARK(ing) Day. PARK(ing) Day by definition “is an annual, worldwide event that inspires city dwellers everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good” (parkingday.org).

            The first parking space that I came upon was a group of ESF students and what appeared to be their professor. They where sitting down in either camper chairs or sleeping bags acting out a campsite. This project was extremely important to the students because no only did it count towards their grade as a project but supported their belief in the need for more parks. When asking them the reason for their set up they explained that they were environmental design majors and they made this space to reflect a campsite as so many camping grounds have been torn down in upstate NY. They not only pointed out negatives in the lack of parks but also the possibly of adding new green areas. One student mentioned that he got a question that said “ but why do this when after today this will still be a road”. I really liked his approach to answer this question, he responded by saying “ well, soon one day this road will have to be re-done, so why not add more grass to the sidewalks or add a median with grass on it”. I really liked his approach on futuristic thinking not reflecting on was has already happened.

            When we first approached them they were sitting in silence. This is most definitely a form of performance art similarly, to that work done of Jon Cage. Allowing people to focus on the silence allows us to concentrate, commemorate and respect the important issue of nature being destroyed. By being in silence it is almost a synonymous exercise to Jon Cage. The idea that when people are still and quiet and listen to nature instead of hustle and bustling going on around them, then you can truly appreciate nature. So by staying silence I believe they were attempting to make us realize that when parks disappear then so does that naturalistic silence and that it will be replaced with the endless noise of cars.

            This experiment was extremely successful for a multitude of reasons. One reason is that without words I could see that they there were attempting to be on a campsite and reenact the activities that are encouraged with those specific activities. Also when they began to explain their project they did not only just explain it but they provided examples of comments and questions that were asked by other people adding a mass of perspectives to the project. Also simply the fact that it made me more aware of a topic that I was not one hundred percent familiar with.

One parking spot that really grabbed my attention was a stand provided by the Everson Museum of Art. The project consisted of a double-sided board, which was all mapped out with Post-it squares. Upon inquiry, the woman told us that it was a mosaic where people can define what they believe art is. Each Post-it that was added to the overall board spelt the words art is and within each Post-it it contained the same words (art is). The Post-it had a blank space for people to write their response to what art is, allowing for a wide range of responses. Some examples that I saw was that art is, everything, anything ordinary, sex and the generic art is cool.

            The board definitely allowed the public to be involved in this performance art. This form of art was fun, entertaining, expressive and educational allowing people to interact and also feel like they added something to the project. This project was also carefully placed in the parking space. Not only was it placed directly on Marshal Street but also they made the board double sided so that people walking on either side of the street would be able to see it and be able to interact.

            Although this project was not directly correlated to the PARK(ing) Day event I still believe it to be effective. This project communicated a variety of things. One was that everyone has a different definition of what art actually is, showing that everyone has a different perspective and there is no one to say one is right or wrong. Secondly, that anyone and everyone can create something, even something like this mosaic board. Finally to make a connection to the Everson Museum of Art and the design pieces that there museum hold.

Although these projects are very different I still believe that they portray good examples of performance art. Some types that are interactive and some types that are to be observed. In addition, even though only one piece really related to the purpose of the day both got their messages across, which is the most important aspect of performance art. 

3 things Sept. 17th 2010 ✎

Today in class we started with an exercise in which we were silent for 7 minutes. This is how we were first introduced into the idea of the noises around us being a form of music. Initially the first thing I learnt was how hard it was to relax and be quiet. It seems we are always busy and to actually have to be quiet for an unknown amount of time was challenging to get into. Also from this exercise I learnt how much we rely on other confirmation from other people in our surroundings when placed in uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations. When started the assignment the unsure situation caused people to, smile, give awkward stares and attempt not to laugh. So through human interaction I was able to learn the behavioral qualities in which people take on when they feel uncomfortable. 

The second thing that really stuck in my mind form class today was Jon Cage’s interview. In his interview he mentioned the idea that “ music is someone talking and the traffic on 6^th avenue (NYC) was the activity of sound”. I really liked this idea of how in traffic and in nature the noises speak to us whereas, in music created by man, the composer is talking to the audience through the composition. The idea that not everything we listen to has to be man composition but the fact that to sit in silence is music all on its own.

Finally the last thing I took in from our class today was the true idea of improv performance art, and its deeper significance. An example given to us was of the people in Times Square freezing, and not moving. Showing how important the audience is to the artwork and how inevitably they become apart of the artwork themselves. In addition to the peoples interactions their expectations of the work adds to a large part of the artwork like when Jon Cage preformed his piece. 

Questions about improv ☄

1. Do you think these performances are art? Why or why not? (our group)

Yes, they are art because they make us think about everyday life in a new way. We define art as the product of human creativity and these performances fit our definition.

-Art is a relative term, we have a loose definition

-Gives a new meaning to sound as an art form

-Music is “talking” to you while sounds are “activity”

-Takes us away from expectations

-Not all “music” has to be created, some is already there in nature, people just fail to recognize it

2. Now that you have seen several performances, do you see Anne & Kasey's performance in a new light why or why not?

- interactions are guides by expectations

-how does performer sets these expectations? what else sets our expectations? 

-other people around us

-authority figure

-interactions are guided by expectations 

3. What do Jon Cage, Flash Mobs by improv everywhere, and Anne & Kasey's performances have in common?

-there was a shock factor

- a lot to do with the reaction of the audience

-minimal activity

-confused when Anne & Kasey's where completing there performance 

-diversion from their expectations

4. Why do i believe Jon Cage's "4'33" paved the way for improv everywhere?

- based around what people didn't expect

-shattering people view of normal performance

-center around a lack of movement in time and space

- if everyone was dancing then

-viewers expectations and audience participation become a part of the art work

5. How is this relevant to art design?

-simplicity

-deign try to grab peoples attention, so by being quiet or still allows you to grab attention

- allows people to give different perspective and views

-"listening to Beethoven all the same but when listening to traffic its all different"

7 minutes of silence ✌

In the beginning of the silence I was a little skeptical about the value or purpose of this exercise. In the need for confirmation I turned to my peers and I saw that most of them were surely thinking the same way I was; feeling uncomfortable they were smiling, fidgeting and attempting not to laugh. After a couple minutes in, I placed my head down and just tried to relax and stop think too much about everyone else. I realized in the end that it was quite serene and relaxing to stay still and be quiet. when it was over, I was hoping that it could of lasted just a couple more minutes longer. 

3 different places within a 10 minute walk ☂

Quiet Quad

I’m positioned under a tree in the Quad. The rain has just begun and it seems to have no problem finding the flaws in my shelter. The raindrops slowly add to and create puddles below my feet. They continue to make pitter patter sounds as they almost fall rhythmically with each other. The trees now begin to rustle as the wind picks up. Their autumn colors are beginning to show, making each leaf’s sound a bit crispier. As I close my eyes, I hear the sound of soft footsteps as they step in the puddle water, making an almost whooshing sound. In contrast, there are those rapid, fast steps of those who forgot their umbrellas. With all of this chaos, there is a sense of tranquility. It seems that nature balances out the hustle and bustle of students on their way to class and creates moments of pure silence if you have time to listen.

Chaotic Construction

On my way back from class heading towards my dorm, I stopped approximately 10 minutes from our classroom; to my surprise, realizing that I live only 10 minutes away. As I stopped, the noises around me were overwhelming. The sound of roaring cars on I-81 and the construction was almost too much to be able to think. The construction sight consisted of such a variety of sounds. The beeping of backing-up trucks, the yelling workmen, the slamming of hammers and other tools, the lifting of objects on the crane and large mechanical vehicles just to name a few. Now in comparison to the Quad, this construction sight makes the Quad seem like a library.

Eating at Ernie’s

The next place I went to was Ernie Davis dining hall. Always crowed, the possibility for noises was endless; picking up of trays, slamming down of dishes, the tapping of serving spoons on the pots and pans, the chatter of people, pulling of chairs and the occasional dropping of empty cups followed by a uproar of student voices. The jostle of Ernie Davis most definitely speaks to its popularity with students.

9 favorite photos.. ☼

3 Things Sept 3rd ✰

Today was our first day of class. :)During the class we were introduced to our peers and the syllabus through fun and interactive games. These games included following our partners drawing movements on a piece of paper and a two-team game where we were quizzed on topics from the syllabus. Throughout the course of the class there were three things that left a significant impact on my understanding of the people in our class and the study and creating of Time Arts.

         The first thing that stuck in my mind was the results of the hands on drawing peer game. This game really stuck in my mind because it showed the observer how we can tell a lot about a person when they are focused on something. Also, you can tell a lot about a persons characteristics by their body language and their interaction with you whilst completing a task.

         The next thing I that I thought was important was in our class projects there is to be no use of music. You can make rhythm that has been created by yourself usually by miscellaneous sounds or spoken sentences stringed together. However, the use of more than 30% background music to your piece is not allowed and can take away from your personal Time Arts piece.

         In addition to the observation above, I noticed that the use of vibrant and variant colors could really leave an impression on the project and the observer of the project. We were shown a previous students project, which incorporated zippers. I really liked this piece. I liked how she used a pop art movement as her background color scheme and used the onomatopoeic sound of zippers to be her background music