The above image is from a fascinating website about the quietest place in the United States. Checkout www.onesquareinch.com
As an urban dweller, the white noise of transportation is always present even in the quietest of moments, which makes me consider whether I could easily get to any place free of man made noise at all. I suspect this would be a huge challenge for any of us, even those who live in close contact with the natural world. Thanks, Sten!
And this incredible image of various types of silently expressed emotion is from a performance art piece a friend saw in Edinburgh this summer. Check out the review below from the London's Guardian.
"There certainly is in Six Women Standing in Front of a White Wall at C Soco, one of those sleeper shows that is fast becoming a huge word-of-mouth hit. Some people are returning again and again, and I can see why. The production is very simple. The audience gathers in a small room. At one end is a roped-off area and white wall with signs saying, “Please touch”. Six women, dressed in red, slowly enter the room and take their places against the wall. The women writhe and start scratching themselves, reminding you of small children deprived of love and affection. The audience is actively encouraged to touch and hug the women. When you do, these women spring upwards like young saplings, appearing to blossom before your eyes. Shortly after you withdraw your hand, they begin to wilt in front of you, their mouths opening in silent screams.
It is fascinating to watch - and the audience is part of the interest. You'd think that natural British reticence would make this show a no-hoper, but in fact watching is as intriguing as actually taking part. At one point, seeing a young woman withdraw her arm from one of the red figures and hold it just out of reach - simply standing there as the red figure suffered - was so unbearable to watch that I found myself obliged to intervene in what seemed like an act of terrible cruelty.
Six Women doesn't allow you to be passive. It gives the audience a responsibility, and while some may simply dismiss it as therapy rather than theatre, this intriguing performance-installation offers another example of how all our definitions of theatre are changing. And if hugging is included, that can only be a good thing."
2 comments:
you may remember seeing my collage and few lines created after sitting with people. theme was from fenelo: to hear the voice of the voiceless one must be silent before him. as i read this i think that it would be cool to make large images from these small ones or to project them on the walls so that they are large.
For me, this brings back a memory of Chestertown, Maryland where I went to school. Attending college there coming from a relatively noisy Baltimore was really amazing. I will never forget the absolute glorious silence of the late, late nights there. Once the wind and everything else went to sleep, you were finally by yourself in a very profound way.
Post a Comment