SYNCRETIC CONFESSIONS (of an under-over-post graduated performance artist) Once upon a time t!e da" t!e #or$d c!

!anged and %ar$-&ein' Stoc(!ausen s greatest #or( of art in t!e #!o$e entire cosmos (or )*++) #as performed in Ne# Yor( Cit", I #as a mature-age undergraduate -erformance Studies student at .ictoria /niversit" s Footscra" -ar( campus in 0ustra$ia1 0$t!oug! rea$it" !ad a$read" ruptured for me #!en I 2ecame acute$" a#are of m" consciousness a$tering #it!in a 3ar( 3inc!inton foundation c$ass4 t!e terroristic avant-garde performance art of )*++ inspired me to pursue t!e significance of morta$it" for art1 T!e da" prior4 t!ere #as an unease as I cras!ed t!roug! space and ro$$ed around indu$ging an informa$ contact improvisation #it! a $ecturer #!om I !ad recent$" 2ecome infatuated1 0s I #i$$ed m" erotic fantas" into rea$it"4 pro$eptica$$" outside t!e studio #!ose conversion to a computer $a2orator" faci$it" for sport science #as imminent, t!e #or$d appeared ominous1 0s it !appened4 m" sound $ecturer #as visiting !is 0merican !ome$and and 2ecame stranded t!ere indefinite$"1 Returning 2ac( !ere to 0ustra$ia4 !e assigned a co$$a2orative group assessment tas( to our c$ass1 5e #ere instructed to perform and record a soundscape #it!out conventiona$ instrumentation1 &aving 2ecome a recent discip$e of 0ntonin 0rtaud4 a force of creative destruction stirred #it! a desire to attac! contact microp!ones to ten ga$$on drums1 Roaring #it! fires acce$erated 2" f$amma2$e $i6uids and smas!ing fragi$e o27ects into t!em4 t!ese drums affective s"mp!on" mig!t cat!artica$$" !ea$ one s stric(en consciousness8 0$as4 a$ac(, t!e disinterested ot!ers nominated t!eir preference to perform as a percussive orc!estra #it! crude resonant o27ects and rudimentar" s!a(ers1 /ninspired4 I voiced m" despair1 To #it4 t!e aforementioned $ecturer s face convu$sed and t#itc!ed invo$untari$" stammering #it! an 0merican vernacu$aria$ dra#$ 9:O NOT ;E 0 -RI30 :ON0 CR0I<888= :espondent$"4 I opted out and dropped out of c$ass on$" to $ater comp$ete t!e su27ect #it! a composition of found sound recordings and a &ig! :istinction1 Simi$ar$"4 I #as re2u(ed for indu$ging in !"2rid appropriations of ot!er artists #or( for m" fina$ "ear -erformance -ractica1 Rat!er t!an c!anne$ m" o#n se$f-a2sorption and narcissistic tendencies4 I conste$$ated t!ose #!om #ere ps"c!ica$$" and affective$" insisting t!emse$ves upon me1 Su27ect to an 0rtaud-<roto#s(ian poor t!eatre aest!etic4 Eugeno Ionesco s R!inoceros #as cut-up and mas!ed #it!in t!e Coa$ition of t!e 5i$$ing s 5ar on Terror4 vio$ent 3idd$e East conf$icts inc$uding t!ose of Israe$--a$estine and t!e Ira6 invasion4 as #e$$ as t!e disintegration of t!e space s!utt$e Co$um2ia4 and pro$iferating refugee crises1 -ersona$ traumata4 t!e iconograp!" of popu$ar cu$tura$ references suc! as Star 5ars4 Sinead O Connor4 t!e C!ristian ;i2$e4 Fran( Sinatra4 Sonic Yout!4 Igg" -op and ot!er ps"c!oana$"tica$ (anti-)p!i$osop!ers inspired materia$ as #e$$1 I #as a post-modern appropriative4 con7uring incantations of &einer-3u$$er-cum-Samue$ ;ec(ett and )*++ s e>istentia$ void1 Rat!er t!an ce$e2rated for m" na?ve !omage of avant-gardist c$ic!es4 I #as ridicu$ed for emp$o"ing t!e t!eatrica$ convention of a c!air as stage propert" and onto$ogica$ signifier1 5orse sti$$4 a senior $ecturer #!o previous$" accused me of 2eing too critica$ of ot!ers intuitive$" e>pressed to me t!at 0rtaud 9#ou$d not approve=1 Is !e 0rtaud not fuc(ing dead111 I received a pass and comp$eted m" &onours -erformance Studies "ear #it! .ictoria /niversit" s

!ig!est mar( a &ig! :istinction of )@A and an a#ard certif"ing m" E>ce$$ent 0c!ievement in Researc! 1 0$t!oug! frustrating m" &onours supervisor4 #e forged an affinit" #!ose am2iva$ence strained our re$ations!ip unti$ it ruptured unto its o#n void1 In praise or 2$ame as a post-graduate 3aster of 0rt T!eor" candidate4 conste$$ations of inspirationa$ ot!ers are appropriated in order to aspire and fai$1 In t!is regard and to t!e c!agrin of m" supervisor4 I performed m" t!eoretica$ researc! for a co$$o6uium at T!e Institution and inspired an am2iguous intervention1 To #it4 un$ess received under t!e auspices of innovative (or rat!er4 fas!iona2$e) pretences suc! as t!e convenient pidgeon-!o$es Bive 0rt4 Socia$$" Engaged -ractices4 Re$ationa$ 0est!etics and t!e so-ca$$ed 9artform of our time= - .ideo 0rt determine, performance art 2e#i$dering$" perp$e>es T!e Institution and its s"cop!ants1 In fact4 for m" progressive institution4 a performance is assessed upon su2mission of its documentation1 For T!e Institution4 performance s intrinsic va$ue $ies #it!in t!e reproduci2i$it" and mar(eta2i$it" of one s documentation and t!e parasitic industr" it entai$s1 T!is presence of $ive performance art4 once su2sumed #it!in t!e consuma2$e representationa$ image4 !as our individua$ and co$$ective freedom 2ecome su27ect to a va$ue e>c!anged 2" g$o2a$i'ed crapita$ism s (sic) invisi2$e !ands and mar(et forces1 0nd so4 T!e Institution s administration of art prevai$s1 0s suc!4 art s !ope$ess spectac$e is its deat!1 0nd $"ing dead4 its a#a(ening $ies #it! a revo$utionar" and emancipator" po$itics4 #!ose !ori'ons reside 2e"ond t!e fata$ and seductive p!antasmagoric distractions of mass-mediatised cu$ture industries4 and our unconscious and insatia2$e desire for immorta$it"1 T!ieving fai$ure and 2at!etica$$" vomiting pat!os4 is t!is genius random tras! or t!e arrogance of trut!C -raise n 2$essings8 RO0R050R FE0RT0T0 s E$ton Do!n ###1rfco$$ective12$ogspot1com E@+F