2015
POTS
POTS explored the challenges of holding on to dreams and ambitions that are slowly slipping through your fingers. This autobiographical piece was based on true events that happened in the artists' life and explored them through the interaction with natural and handmade objects. The manipulation of these objects carried with them metaphorical associations that tackled the events of the artists' life.
The performance used natural materials such as wood, clay, salt, rope and canvas to perform actions that formed connections between the performer and the audience.
Some of the most striking actions involved:
Materials
The pot on rope was a vessel made by Alexander to hold the salt and to allow him to present it in the form of a circle, at the same time he was also thinking about symbolic meanings relating to the idea of the pot being a goal in his life or a task, something he wanted to hold onto. Something he didn’t want to break. Alexander integrating his interest in movement to bring this object to life swirling it and spinning it around his body creating circles in space. As this movement progressed growing in speed and energy it became harder and harder to guarantee the safety of this pot, until he smashed it with little warning ending that part of the performance.
He allowed the creativity of the making of his own resources to influence the direction that his performance took, trying out variations within his exploration of the pot on rope, wood chippings, salt and other textile elements with the aim of creating aesthetically pleasing images that followed and related to the themes of his performance.
Within the performance he presented a piece of tree with its outer layer removed, wood chippings surrounding it. He then stood in front of this lump of wood mirroring the image presented. These are wood chippings that he has carved from another lump of tree earlier on in the performance. This is an example of how he used the positioning of objects within the space in relation to himself to symbolise in this case the idea of stripping away to one’s real self as well as gradually, task by task developing as a person.
“To carve away at ones' outer layer in order to find the true self underneath”
His performance is filled with these possible associations and metaphorical representations. He is aware that many may be missed or interpreted in different ways and says ‘My audience may even interpret things in ways that I would never have considered, and in my opinion this ambiguity is an integral part of the performance.’
Movement
The movements in POTS centered on the creation of circles in space using a long piece of rope with a bag of salt attached. The movement was formed through following the swing of the rope transferring the rope from one hand to another, trying to continue circular motion of its pendulum movement for as long as possible. The movement grew in speed and energy as it progressed, getting to the point where it was almost impossible to hold on to the rope. The movement of the pendulum and circular figuration through the space created a visually appealing and interesting form of movement that was filled with passion and energy, mirroring feelings of the autobiographical event.
The experience
If you were to ask me what I want my performance to do I would say:
“I wish my work to capture and excite an audience, to give them an aspect of theatre and entertainment. To stimulate their senses with sound, texture and colour as well as with movement. Wishing for the audience to experience the movement, and absorb the emotion and feeling with which the moves are delivered. I want my performance to provoke an individual and personal response within my audience. I want my audience to feel something, the stronger the feeling the better. I am only hinting, or suggesting the themes that I personally wish to convey, and in doing so I may trigger other responses and provoke different emotions within my audience. In conclusion I feel the main purpose of my performance is to present a piece of work that does not allow the audience to sink into their seats and relax, but a piece of work that keeps them in a constant state of readiness and wonder.”
The speed and velocity in which he manipulates the rope and bag of salt when creating circles in the space, creates a tension between him and the audience. They are aware that there is an element of danger as all he has to do is let go and someone could be hit. His wish is to transfer to them the idea of how he was not personally in control of the situation during past events in his life and like in that time he is not fully in control during that element of the performance.
His Personal experience
As well as the experience of his audience he was also very concerned with how he felt during the performance. Trying force his body to perform tasks that trigger the same feelings as he felt during the event in his life. Intrigued by the notions of being in the moment, in a state of readiness, and in the moments between thought. He explored losing himself in the task he was performing, seeing what it was like to:
“Remove the prolonged conscious thought of what I am doing. To force my body to perform innate reflex-like actions. Removing the element of the planned and rehearsed performance instead focusing more on the idea of the performance of an action in the moment.”
In doing so he was able to present a more honest and truthful vision of his self as he had no time to present a false persona or character.
“I am also interested in how I am feeling when I’m performing. I am not purposely projecting a feeling, but allowing the task that I am performing to produce the feeling within me. The task that I am performing is producing the emotional response, that is very like what I felt during the other challenges and tasks of my life.”
