Okay, I really enjoyed our discussion on the readings today, and realized that the prelude to it-- our conversation looking for boundaries in the arts--was, by it's very nature, somewhat off-putting and difficult.
The more I consider it (and a bumpy, crowded busride home gives me plenty of time to ruminate), we might want to revisit the topic-- not as a search for boundaries (at least not initially), but rather as identification of your fields (not disciplines, but hopefully something more mutable, as Patrick suggested today). In very concrete ways, it seems that identifying how you spend your time in your area of concentration may help us all understand how we spend our time in our area(s) of concentration. What is your diet like when you are involved in a project? What books do you have to read for your concentration? What types of media are essential? Do you need costumes or a uniform? Special shoes? How much time outside of the classroom do you work in your field? What does a peer group consist of for your projects? What tools are essential to your work? How do you practice? How is your process/product presented to a group, or is it?
Maybe by looking at this topic through everyday practices (and by this, I pretty much mean things you do everyday) we may be able to see (or find) the boundaries more naturally?
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We all live our lives in some sort of routine; A path of discipline. There are many obstacles and challenges that present itself in our area(s): Being in performance production, my views on my life view something like this:
When I wake up, my mind initially thinks, gosh it's early, but after my shower, breakfast, and my journey to my destination, I begin to look at the world in a different vision. The side acts on the street, how their sounds could be enhanced; someday to become a great performer (if they are good enough). The space inside a typical store, being made into the best night club in the city (if the location is right). My field will and does grow, based on imagination, based on skill, based on originality.
Each field of careers require many different aspects. The clothes we wear; Black shoes, Black socks, Black shirts, and Black pants; And if you are lucky, Black Underwear. The tools are essential to perform our tasks with much ease and simplicity. The practices we perform, such like thoes in college, help to produce our fantastic products. Products at which are our visions, our immaginations, our spirits, and our hardwork.
All of my coworkers work together with me to add our ideas together. Like the famous phrase is always told "Two heads are better then one." This is Us! Performance Production
Dance!
Uniform: Technique classes require specific form-fitting clothes, usually tights and a leotard, sometimes with the option of a tank top or t-shirt, shorts or pants. But within this dress code each student comes up with their preferred variation on the theme. There are pink tights, black tights, tan tights. Some wear their tights over their leotard, some under. Tights can be worn over the foot or rolled up to mid-shin or knee-length. Leotards come in halter, camisole, short-sleeved, and long-sleeved styles in many many colors. It's quite amusing to see what each person considers stylish and comfortable. Ballet is danced in ballet slippers or pointe shoes, jazz is danced in jazz shoes, modern is danced in barefeet.
Where: The studio is my home. The expansive space, the smooth floors, the barres, the mirrors, are my home. Honestly, the only thing I do outside of class is stretch a little when I get home. Occasionally I practice something from class for a minute or two, but not usually. I do strengthening exercises several times a week outside of class, which is a way to help my body work better in class. My body is the only tool that I have and therefore it requires a lot of nurturing. Getting enough sleep and eating healthy are essential to my art, because without my body I have nothing.
Being a dancer, I am fascinated with bodies and movement patterns. I notice how open someone's posture is when they are sitting in class. I notice how strangers walk when they walk past me on the street. I notice if my friends stand in neutral alignment or if they stand swaybacked. Bodies, and specifically my own body, are my life.
My basic daily routine isn’t necessarily reflective of my field. I don’t wake up thinking, “I am an actor. Today I’m going to act.” because…well, I just don’t. That’s not going to get me anywhere. But what I can say is that when I’m involved with a show, my entire life revolves around the show. My days and nights are often spent in rehearsals, which does cause an interruption and a modification to my daily routines. I know that I’m going to be both physically and emotionally exhausted, so I’m sure to get enough sleep. And I never eat dairy because it affects my voice, and therefore it affects my performance. And hey, performances are all I have.
In terms of methodology, there are innumerable ways to prepare. And it also varies depending on the character. There’s so much an actor can do to reach the same goal, it’s like…snowflakes. No two methods are exactly the same because each actor is different and what works for them isn’t always going to work for the person sitting next to them.
What I'm getting is that...essentially...the point is to find a boundary that surrounds theatre and separates it from other art forms.
We use our voices along with our imagination to take the words from the page and bring them to life.
Okay, Lindsay emailed me her writing and it reads:
i practice my major in the most relaxed way possible. i
sit with friends and talk while working. i get inspiration
from the smallest things, the smallest words or subjects,
the weirdest views and the strangest thinkings imaginable.
Anything that can be possibly viewed as art, comes into
consideration in my practice and i'm devoted to seeing
every aspect to get the right vibe and feeling for a show.
Sometimes I don’t always feel like going through every
proper step or asking other people for their opinion
because I don’t feel that its necessary or I think I know
what they will say. like i said the most relaxed way for
me is the best
Well my art form is painting i love to oil paint to do this you need paint brushs assorted in many styles and you also need gesso for canvas texture and turpin oil for paint thinner and there are also quick acting and slow acting oil mediums to to add or take away flow for your paint
i usually need to have lots of alone time to start on a new painting there is lots of trail and error that happens when you first try to put and idea on to canvas so sketching writing and talking with others is a good way for me to get a real feel about what im trying to do.
music also helps alot and being comfortable is also a good thing,,sounds corny but its true levis and bare feet on a hardwood floor does it for me.
in the end its all about creativity and releasing pain and sarrow at the same time....some times im happy with what i have done and other times it was just really therepy for me and no one else? when im in the mode nothing can stop me, not food not friends not even sex everything comes last even me except for the art.
Performance Production, to me, is a combination of both technology and creativity. Though performance production includes the likes of costume and set design, as well as stage management, my true interest comes from sound. I have felt able to mix music and sound with a knowledge of technology to assist in making a performance as memorable as it can be. I know the actors, dancers, and musicians on stage are working their hardest to perform to the best of their abilities, so I feel like its my job to learn as much about sound, and the technology associated with sound to help put the final touches on a performance. Having been in some plays and in several bands I know how much it hurts to have a sound engineer or designer who has no idea how to run a sound board. I guess in a way I "practice" by investing the time to learn and understand the technology associated with sound design.
Many times I have stared at myself in the bathroom mirror at an unearthly hour of the morning (after spending a precious 17 hours of my young life in the light booth at the theater) and wondered why in the WORLD I keep doing this to myself. Weeks upon sleepless, social-lifeless, real-food-starved weeks in the company of bitchy directors and self-proclaimed “stars.” Nothing in return for the effort but my name misspelled in tiny print at the bottom of the program, right below the full color McDonald’s advertisement.
What is in this for me?
Most days I really can’t answer that question. I’m still not sure what reward I’m aiming to find. My theory is that I’m not aiming for a reward from anyone but myself. It’s impossible to be a successful theater technician and expect the audience to congratulate you for your brilliant work on opening night. You have to be able to take the applause for yourself, instead of letting the actors steal it for themselves alone. After all, it’s your work too.
I’m the girl with Sharpies and a roll of electrical tape always in her purse in lieu of makeup or a travel sized hair-straightening iron. Jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers do me just fine as far as clothing—I mean, why bother with anything else? It’ll just get dirty from crawling around on the filthy floor or sneaking about up in the dust encrusted catwalks. My pockets jangle, laden with the all important keys to the building. I will coo over my shiny new Makita cordless drill or new drafting templates regardless of whether or not someone thinks I’m lame.
At the end of the day, even if you started out trying to do things to make everyone (audience, actors, directors, etc) else happy, YOU have to be pleased with your final result. When the final curtain comes down and strike officially begins, you have to be ready to pat yourself on the back, let it go, and look ahead to tomorrow’s new production schedule.
My peer group consists of tons of different age groups and backgrounds because the world of theatre and film has varied roles representing all sorts of different people.
The tools that are essential to my work are my body, scripts, a stage, and the world. To work in acting, you have to have examples of every different type of human to utilize onstage.
I practice by going into a studio or onstage and practice my lines and blocking either alone or with my cast.
Well, the end result of all actors' work is a play to be presented to an audience or a film to be represented to an even larger group.
THEATRE ROCKS!!!!!!!
My chosen artform is theatre (the acting part), and an actor has a lot to think about besides memorizing lines. I have to be able to speak with distinction and speak loudly without straining my voice; this means conditioning the muscles of speech as well as the diaphragm for good breath support. I have also been encouraged by acting teachers to get rid of any regional dialect I might have and make my speaking voice as neutral as possible (after all, Juliet doesn't have a southern accent). It is also a good idea for an actor to be in good physical condition so that it will not be difficult to perform any action onstage. This usually means stretching, exercising, eating well, and staying hydrated. Actors also have to be in tune with their emotions and must be willing to put them on display, basically. Doing a play usually requires research about the time period, any themes or concepts the play contains, the author, etc.
An actor's primary tool is his own body, but there are other necessities for the profession. A headshot with a resume is an actor's buisiness card. Beyond that, most actors have their own stage make-up, character shoes (neutral shoes designed specifically for performers), and work-out or dance clothing for rehearsals.
I just realized that the first half of my comment was cut off, so here's the rest of it: When I have a role, my diet is often similar to the character I'm playing. If they're skinnier than I am at the time, I might try to lose weight (healthily), but if I don't have the time to lose weight, I try to incorporate my weight into my role. I still eat healthy, I just may eat more or less depending on the character's weight.
For acting, I have to read scripts, textbooks, and text analysis books. I also might read books (or not read books as the case may be) that my character would want to read. Costumes and special shoes are essential for a role. In the beginning I might want to bring small props that help me assimilate the character I'm playing. But as the play rehearsals progress, I try to wear more of the costume. I start wearing the shoes at the beginning. You have to learn how to walk your character's walk without looking like you're about to fall over or appear incredibly uncomfortable.
Every single day consists of acting. Even if you're just faking a smile or being kind to someone you don't really like, that's a form of acting. All rehearsals and performances are done outside of school. It's fun stuff!
Artist:
I need a secluded environment, with loud and inspiring music, a place to be myself. An enviornment where I can let go of everything and pour my soul into my project. Tools of every shape and size (including those I don’t need) are nice to have on hand so that I can experiment and see which I like best. Lots of elbow room is also a necessity, this allows me some movement of my body because I HATE to create while sitting down. Time just seems to stop when I'm in this state. Nothing else matters. After all, art is an experience. In order to experience something, you must have had your life touched in some way. This is where I draw my personal inspiration. My art is made to make others understand my thoughts and experiences, but because of perspective, they all draw different conclusions from that same image.
I guess that’s the difference between art and other disciplines. When art is removed from its intended environment, it then has new meaning. I always find myself asking “what unique experience did this person have in order to create this work? What were their motives?” Perhaps my overall point is that I, as an artist, can be enlightened and have a sense of understanding, however it is much more difficult to make people see things from my perspective. Because they have not had these unique experiences, they don’t get quite as much from the final piece as we (the creators) do. So it is my job as the artist to solve the problem of communication.
~Corey S.
There are so many reasons why I love theatre, to many actually to put into such a short writing assignment. But one of the things that makes theatre such an important part of my life and leaving me constantly coming back for more is the reaction that I get from the audience. I don’t feel like I’ve done my job unless I make the audience feel some kind of emotion or have them walk away with something to think about. The other reason why I love it so much is because it’s my opportunity to be someone else. It’s my chance to escape the world of Jake and get to play a variety of characters in a number of different scenarios and settings.
When it comes to rituals, I have to have the time before a performance to sit quietly and get into character before I go onto stage. But when it comes to memorizing lines, the best technique that I have found is to learn them during rehearsal, so that way I can associate a line with a certain movement I do or an emotion I feel.
An Artist. I don’t have a particular form of art that I only do, but I do like doing some more than others. My main focus is on drawing and painting. To do this, some materials I need are chalk, pencils, pens, brushes, paint, canvas, sketch book ,……ect. Those are all physical tools I use to create the ideas I have. When I think of what I need as an artist, I think of the word environment. For me to create the paintings and drawings, I need to have my creativity sparked. I believe this happens through the experiences I have with my surrounding environment. When I say environment I speak of home, love life, friends, family, the masses of people, the city, music, other art, and nature. I don’t have a certain way I use them all. For me I get inspiration or an idea for something when I can tie a certain feeling or emotion with a physical object and I really feel the need to express it. I’m not really sure why I do what I do. I just do it. I guess if it had to be anything, it would be because I am a visual person, so not only do I take things in visually but I express them visually as well.
Corey gave the best description of how I personally view the artist way/path as. Being a painter, I do find that my art form is more solitary, I don’t have a clear mind until I am away from repetitive noise. Since starting at art school, it seems like I haven’t had time to sit down and relax my mind enough to draw. In order to get myself into the state of drawing and painting I have sort of steps I must go through to get myself into that “mode”. I try to get away every weekend, or at least twice a month on a hike, a climb or a mountain biking trail…I guess that is my form of meditation. When I am out in nature I am observing what is around me, the plants the old growth forests, the sheer cliffs erected from the earth. I am always seeing graffiti for instance, or moss growing on the sidewalk as some art form or inspiration for the next piece. Exercising my mind; not watching television, reading self help books like Dan Millman’s series on “the Journey of the Peaceful Warrior”, practicing yoga. Artists that bring great inspiration to my work are Georgia O’Keeffe and Joseph Turner, both great artists, revolutionizing the art scene of their time.
I like to work on large canvases, 4 ft. to about 6 ft. Using all different mediums and techniques keeps my art from becoming stagnant. I believe that by traveling to new places, not sticking to your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant, going beyond your capability of a climb on a mountain, makes you more experienced, more whole which creates a unique flavor in your own work.
v1prana is Mandy Lewis, I was having a brain fart when making my blog name
Well, the more I think about it the more I distance myself from conventions and categories. I'm beginning to see my field as a state of mind rather than a skill.Art exists everywhere. Everything is art if viewed in the right way. I like creating art; creating is the goal. Everything else, the whys the whats and the hows, is fluff--it's secondary. All I need to do to be in my "field" is to be in a creative mindset. Certainly there are things that can accomplish better and things that I will stick to for the sake of quality-of-work, but these are the limitations of time and human capacity rather than self imposed disciplines. When I'm in the proper frame of mind, I am creating art; no matter what it is that I am exactly doing. I am limited by what I can do, but I am not defined by it.
(Captain Crabs' secret identity is Patrick Wijngaard.
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