11.04 : 8 minutes of yes mockup
Artist’s Statement
A disturbing thread I’ve noticed in the people around me (including myself, at times!) is the tendency to cut off from experiences; to say ‘no’ as a defense mechanism, to preempt pain. If we, as people, as human beings, as art students, as concentrations of energy, as lucky fucking bastards, refuse to get excited, or involved, or engaged in the situations and people around us, it is we, as immovable stone objects, that suffer. We have so much; we still get bored. We are so lucky; we still meet what comes our way with indifference, or, worse yet, refusal.
8 minutes of yes is about the joy of permission, of letting situations unfold themselves, despite factors of comfort level or time. Saying ‘yes’ to even the smallest places where a ‘no’ might appear can positively transform anyone’s life.
The piece consists of two parts: its initial larger-than-life stop sign element, installed here, and a performance element, consisting of the vocal performance of a long poem I’m developing, and the obliteration of the word ‘no’ through the use of ‘yes’ stickers, as below.
I believe one of the first words we utter is ‘no’. It’s a power word, and easy to say, but it so nasty! Has the same feeling as a rainy low overcast day. I’m looking forward to your poem and the transformation of your sign.