22 April 2007
| I haven't recorded thought processes since April 8th. In the meantime I have been working on several projects. An Epilogue 2, Karl Wang a puppet, Marxist for Kucinich, Millennium's End, and Out - Out Brief Candle. |
1. I have several old 8mm home movies that I purchased from EBay. They were from the 40's, 50's and some into the 60's. I had previously written previous prose and poetry about my childhood and wanted a way to incorporate it into the performance (performance art should be personal) Since I am concentrating on visual images this was a formidable task. I finally realized that I could use the home movies and tell a story about how this was not my life. It is like my frequently used Henry David Thoreau quote "Most men live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them" So I spent many day going over the 8mm's with an editor just to find out what was on them and when they were made. (You can tell when they are made by the cars pictured more than the clothing and hair style of the women). So I got it to the point to where now I just have to do it. But other things are calling also. Specifically the Environmental Theater part. The inspiration came from this story and recalling that there were xmas lights in the film, but I am sure I will have to modify it.
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It was almost the Christmas of 1957 in Richmond Indiana. I was fourteen. Uncle Jim had gathered together me and my brother to sell mistletoe. Momma told him, “If they are going out with people they have to dress nicer.” Uncle Jim said, “No. With the holes in there pants they can sell more.” That year, Dad did not work. He seemed normal to me but later I learned that he had a nervous breakdown. Mom worked at the Home Laundry where she steam pressed the shirts of the wealthy all day. Many times good food in our household of 1957 was stale bread and mustard. Mom always bought the bread from “The Day Old Bread” store, so we never had fresh bread. We lived down near the drainage ditch. That past summer I had made a bow and arrow and hunted frogs. I brought them home and Momma was all excited. She fried the legs on a two burner kerosene stove. The house was small and always smelled of kerosene. My older brother and I shared a bed and we had to roll into it and out of it because the ceiling was so low. My sister and I walked to our school that was high on the hill. The kids that lived on the hill threw rocks at us sometimes. I was always taught not to fight back but sometimes, I just had to throw the rocks back at those kids on the hill. Uncle Jim waited in the car while I sold the mistletoe to the people on the hill. It was cold and the wind would blow through the holes in my pants. The people would often ask me in while they hunted their money. Their houses were large and smelled of cinnamon. With my money earned from selling the mistletoe I bought a thick comic book called Man in Space. I don’t recall us having a Christmas tree that year. I don’t remember any gifts. But I treasured that book. I still have it nearly 50 years later. As the family aged my Sister became a religious fanatic and my Brother robbed banks. I became an artist, writer and career teacher. But it wasn’t because Uncle Jim played off the guilt of the wealthy. It was because, sometimes, I just had to throw those rocks back, at the kids on the hill. |
2. I decided there was a place to link a puppet to the performance. It is Karl Wang. I have a script written but it needs reworked.
3. Toward the Environmental Theater; I found that Kucinich had positive values of helping the poor and creating a world citizenship. I decided to make the Environmental theater part that was already going to be a Marxist Rally a "Marxist for Kucinich" rally. Since this is a recent addition I have to work on it somewhat. It will go something like this concept [Kucinich is not a Marxist but shows his concern for the poor and weak. This is also the philosophy of Marxists. Therefore, we support him]
4. I made two of the hammer and sickle tee shirts and hats. I was never sure the glue on felt would work until I tried it. It works well for what I need. I don't know what will happen when it is washed but it isn't important since I need them for props only.
5. The performance art piece "Millennium's End Ritual" is telling the story of the gap between the evolved man and the super organism man. It was made around 1994. I digitized the video and plan to put it on the net with a link from some part of Retro Punk X. It does require a separate web site since it has so much material that goes with the video.
6. The performance art piece "Out-Out Brief Candle" was also done in 1994. It also is closely related to Retro Punk X. It is about Religion, Suicide, The flaws of Democracy, and the violence in America. This is a very complex performance art piece and will require an individual web site.