1983-86 “Caprock Too!” was a 45 minute performance that grew out of my studio work and my experience doing ceramic workshops. It involved a script, a stage set, props, lighting cues, and another actor, my great friend, Brian Cross. The stage set started with an eight foot tall ladder with a 2X4 across it. There were Skillsaws attached to each end of that 2×4. The cords of the saws run back to the ladder and create a sort of “star” for the “Lone Star State”, Texas. At the apex of the star was a black and TV set tuned to a local station. It would come on during the night time sequences like a “Moon”. Under the ladder was a sort of “closet” for changes of clothes and other props. There was a briefcase, a flashlight, a basketball, dishes, and other things. The “night” section shows me “sleeping” under a blanket of ceramic plates while Brian inspects me with a flashlight. The daytime section has me playing games and rolling plates across the stage, and then dribbling a basketball around eventually breaking some of the plates. There were more photos here but unfortunately, I do not have further documentation. These performances were usually in front of “Ceramic Artists” at their meetings, like the National Ceramic Educators conference. This was my “workshop demonstration” for ceramics artists. These performances took place at the Alberta College of Art, Calgary, Canada ; The Supermud Conference, College Station, Pennsylvania; the “Clay AZ Art” conference University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; and at the Meacham Auditorium, University of Oklahoma, Norman.
1985 Blossom performance
These are stills from a performance I titled “Blossom”. It was performed onstage at the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. This grew out my residency there and my great friendship with Ruth Kohler. Basically I would walk around in the dark with this cup suit on making allot of noise, then strike a pose, and in that silence a light would strobe burning these images in the eyes of the audience. The bicycle wheel on the stool is an obvious reference here to an artistic hero of mine, Mr. Marcel Duchamp. “Blossom” was a performance that was given at a number of locations during the 1980’s and 1990’s.
