One perspective on the seminar

As a painter, I asked myself more than once what I hoped to get out of the four-day seminar/workshop on performance art led by Ron Athey and Jennifer Doyle.  I had been feeling a pull toward incorporating elements of performance into my art for some time but my knowledge and understanding of performance art itself was very limited.  I must admit I came to the first day of the workshop with a few common misconceptions about performance art and particularly the art of Ron Athey.  That said, I was open to learning and I was completely enthusiastic about participating.  

I was impressed with the diversity and caliber of my fellow participants.  It was clear the group was open and eager.  Ron organized the first hour or so in a way that brought us all immediately together as a group.  By sharing our personal stories, stretching our bodies and even laying hands on each other, we lost our inhibitions and felt safe to explore whatever we might need to explore over the next few days.

The first day we delved into Ron's work, some of his early inspirations, his methods and practice, the role of the audience in his work and misconceptions about his work.  There was ample opportunity for all of the participants to ask pertinent and meaningful questions and for us to "flesh" out some of the concepts and meaning in Ron's work.

I was particularly interested in and impressed with Jennifer's presentation the first afternoon.  It dealt with the "difficulty" in certain pieces of performance art, for example, Ron's work.  This work is challenging and does not always leave the viewer with a clear and easy interpretation.

The second day we shared more with Ron and with each other, really looking at our individual practices.  We broke into small groups and performed impromptu pieces.  That afternoon, Jennifer shared with us the story of Aliza Shvartz and what can happen when a piece goes viral and the media and the internet place it in the center of a fire storm.  It was enlightening and thought provoking and proved to be a catalyst for quite a bit of open discussion and debate.

The third day we worked in small groups again and performed new impromptu pieces with emphasis on sound, voice and text.  It was really valuable to see the process through the eyes of each participant and experience each performance so intimately.  Finally that day, each of us gave focused thought to an individual piece that we would present on the last day of the workshop.  We shared our "rough drafts" to the group for critique and suggestions.  It was great to have feedback from everyone but we all benefited from the advice of Ron and Jennifer. Ron gave me advice for my piece from a performance perspective and Jennifer, with her wealth of knowledge and point of view as critic, gave me insight into related pieces and literature that tied in directly to what I was doing.  

The last day was all about performance.  It was instructive and valuable to have heard the loosely conceived idea presented the day before, and then, with suggestion and critique applied, see the piece fully realized.  There were some fantastic and moving performances, even a couple of "difficult" ones.  I had never performed in any capacity prior to this workshop.  It would have been reasonable for me to feel nervous about my performance.  However, the environment was so supportive and open that I was much more interested in the experience of performing itself, rather than focusing on any anxiety I might have felt about performing.  I think my performance was well received and I was really thrilled by the experience and the feedback I got.

I am so glad I took the opportunity to participate in this extraordinary workshop  It was eye opening and educational and it has imparted me with the recognition of a corner of myself that I wasn't fully aware of before.  I have a new tool at my disposal when creating my work and expressing myself.  I am left with an eagerness to learn and experience more in the arena of performance.  I want to thank the sponsors of this seminar, my fellow participants, and most especially Ron and Jennifer for their time, openness and the effort it took to bring it all together.