Studio Final

For the bridge project between Integrated Seminar and Studio, I decided to focus on body and performance art. I researched the body art movement of the 1960s and 70s to give me guidance on the piece I eventually went on to create. This piece was a culmination of a branch of artistic research I’ve been doing for this project on the concept of rules: the personal rituals and superstitions we force ourselves to follow. I personally have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which manifests itself by feeding me rules based on thought and bodily habits that I must uphold. I’ve been creating work about my OCD for a while but took this opportunity to further the concept by creating an interaction with others about their experience with rules.

To do this, I began by interviewing random people in Washington Square Park, asking what rules/superstitions/bodily habits they had. I got a wide range of responses, varying from “I masturbate every night before bed” to “I tap my heels every ten steps” to “I pray to God whenever I hear an ambulance”. These responses were compiled and then typed on a typewriter to serve as posters for what would become my performance event. The event itself consisted of me sitting in a room (empty except for a rug, lamp, and various supplies which were used as props) with a typewriter right outside. A note taped above the typewriter instructed participants to type out a rule for me, the performer, to follow then tape it on the walls surrounding me. Following are some images, rules, and research that show the ins and outs of this project: Rules.

Step 1 – Research:

I visited Printed Matter and was led to a book on performance art during the 60s and 70s that interviewed artists. I was really inspired by Ana Mendieta and Marina Abramovic and wanted to create something that furthered my vision as they did.

Step 2 – Interviews:

I interviewed every person I could find: friends, strangers, instagrammers, and asked them to tell me their rituals, bodily habits, and superstitions. Here are the responses:

When doing yoga and unfocused, do this with eyes while closed look right, left, up, down, focus
Toilet paper on toilet seat when sitting in public bathroom
Count stairs when I walk
Only changing in the bathroom
When emptying glasses, stack glasses that are the same color
Brushing bottom teeth before top teeth
Blowtorch Christmas tree on NYE and puts notes with all things getting rid of that year in it
First stoplight shows if it will be a good day or a bad day (green good, red bad)
If walking and cat passes, take another route
If someone calls from behind, bad luck
Never open umbrellas indoors
Take glass from behind and put it in front of you – signify using past to service now
- Now uses hand motion
Skincare
Couple months ago stepped over a penny, ever since put a penny in left shoe
No mirrors facing bed
No flashlights pointing towards sky or the monster will come out of the sky and put you in a bag and chop you into a million pieces
If sitting down for homework, three beverage minimum
Knock on wood whenever see it
After flushing toilet, run out
Close eyes when there is a helicopter
When driving, pretend car is jumping over/between streetlights
When walking, set pace so I don’t hit a crack
- If off, have to stutter or change pace of walking so I never hit the crack
Only reading at night
Sleeping with clock on my desk and watch on (timing is synched)
Obsessively biting nails
Scratching legs all the time
Taking pills in a specific sway (see page 30 for diagram)
7 pm smoke weed
Aquafor before bed
Watches this paranormal life before bed
Refuses to walk on grate
Pendiculate every morning
Cross when gets in car
100 pushups daily
Tap sticker of principle every morning
Tap cats urn before leave home every day
If forget something and have to go back to house, make funny face in the mirror when back at house
Pick a record to watch
- Pick the sequence of records
- Take out of sleeve
- Put on platter
- Get brush and spray
- Spray spray spread
- Spin
- Drop needle
- Repeat
Gotta wash hands
Call grandma when high
Wake up wash face
Jerk off wash face
Dont masturbate after 12 am
Can’t split the pole
Pinky kiss with friend pre show
Only pick coins up if they’re heads up
Take off makeup and then sit in vanity
Can’t leave bedroom unless shoes are lined up
Turn off light 3x before leaving the room
Step on any crack with both feet
Cannot sleep unless all doors/cupboards are closed
Hear ambulance pray to god
Trash fire, weird art, me + worlds gonna end (lol)
If u need a physicist and need a physicist, what are you gonna ask the physicist
Eat a triangular object backwards and make a wish at the tip
- This is the closest you will get to free will
Sit under covers in robe after shower
Always start walking with right foot first because calamity comes from the left
Knock on wood nine times so I don’t jinx something after I say it
Every time I see the word blvd sing this song:
Never EVER split the pole
No hats on bed
Smiling at self in mirror before using the bathroom
Ginger ale on planes
Always drink Arnold palmers if its on the menu
Hit the roof of cars once when u go under a yellow light and twice under red light
Salute security camera in lobby whenever open the building door
Walk on the left side of the sidewalk every time
Tap my heels every ten steps
Touch all corners of phone when opening it
Q tip my ears before every date
Always sleep on left side of the bed

Step 3 – Experimentation :

I didn’t know what I would do with these rules for a long time. I tried many things to try and figure out what would best portray the rules I collected. I sat in the music practice rooms of my dorm and tried to act the rules out. As seen in the third photo, this did not go very well. I eventually realized I wanted the performance to be interactive, then landed on the conclusion of having the audience “make my rules”.