Coats
Shot on super 8 to accompany Vis-a-Vis Society’s survey-poem “Coats,” from our book Who Are We?
Burning Questions for Burning Bushes
An oldie, but a goodie. Back in August 2013, Vis-a-Vis Society installed this question/answer machine at Smoke Farm’s Lo-Fi Festival. Photos by Britta Johnson. Some of the resulting poems appear in Alaska Quarterly Review, Fall/Winter 2014, Vol 31, No 3 & 4, which were declared “funny” by The New York Review of Books.
Dr. Ink and Dr. Owning donned ghillie suits and proceeded to engage in dancing rituals in order to answer participants’ burning questions.
First, a participant inserts a question in the mailbox:
Then, after some processing through landscape ritual and song, one burning bush selects a question at random to dance, while the other bush records her interpretation, (without seeing the written question).
Burning Bush dances a Burning Question, participants study results in background
Then Q&A poems are hung out to dry
Vis-a-Vis Society’s NEW video poem an homage to Spaghetti Westerns and Sergio Leone
You can watch an excerpt of “The End” here.
The Vis-a-Vis Society teamed up with Britta Johnson and drove out to the desert last summer to shoot some Spaghetti Western, Sergio-Leone-esque choreography experiments, when the forest fires leaped over I-90, forcing us to re-route to Umtanum. We drove and drove, topped off the hot engine’s oil, until we found this remote site, strewn with bullet casings and shattered glass, just like T.S. Eliot described it in “The Wasteland,”
where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
Dr. Ink, in the late stages of pregnancy, and Dr. Owning chomping on a cigar for the first time, donned their labcoats and white pumps, strapped on holsters and vintage Buck Rogers laser guns (thanks to the extraordinary Webster Crowell), and proceeded to conduct a series of movements testing theories on how to end.
After discovering 1,000 ways to end, and recording the results in Dr. Owning’s dad’s home laboratory, Ms. Johnson edited an incredible 23-minute video piece of this investigation. It premiered at the final installation of NEPO 5K “Don’t Run” in our “Registration” piece. This instructional video demonstrated ways to end as participants registered by selecting a race bib printed with an ending phrase. Photos below by Megumi Shawna Arai and Makenzie Stone.
You can watch an excerpt of “The End” .
Watch an excerpt of “The End” here.
We loved watching found poems form throughout the 5 kilometer art walk.
This young art walker loved the part where we fell down
Video Poem “O, GO”
Vis-a-Vis Society’s “O, GO” instructional video on how to begin again. Part of their “Registration” installation at NEPO 5K Don’t Run in Seattle WA September 6, 2014. Cinematography by Ben Kasulke.
(photo credit: Rebecca Hoogs)
Video Poem “DOWNHILL”
Vis-a-Vis Society’s instructional video on “DOWN” and “HILL” that was part of their installation “IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE” for NEPO 5k 2013.
Music by Kent Kessler
(photo credit: Rebecca Hoogs)
3rd Report from Occidental Park 9/19/14
For Vis-a-Vis Society’s final experiment in Occidental Park’s outdoor laboratory as part of ARTSparks, Dr Ink and Dr Owning collected data from passerby, including several licks from what is statistically the cutest puppy in the history of science:
(photo credit: Sierra Nelson)
After petting this creature, Dr Owning’s sensible shoes melted onto her pantyhose.
(photo credit: Robert Wade)
After finding oneself on the “Perception of Time-Speed in Relation to Distance from Optimal Position” graph (X=How fast does time seem to be moving?, Y=How far are you from where you want to be?) :
(photo credit: Sierra Nelson)
participants filled out a short exit survey, which Dr Ink and Dr Owning performed as a list poem inside the graph, transcribed below.
Things That Spark
When two or more people start an action
Flint & Steel
Some kind of chemical process?
An idea?
Chemistry?
Ignition
A good thought
A thought, either bad or good
Serendipity
My husband
Living from bliss
Laughing
Ambition
Beauty
Fun
Heart
Two electrons bounce off each other
Sense of humor
Love
Community
The small things that happen when you least expect them
MAGIC!
Release of energy
People who are present
A decision
Connections
Passion & timing
Flint
Family
Walking to work
Happiness
Connections between people
Electricity
The arising and passing away of energy at every moment
What Brought Us to the Park
A universal conscience
I am a neuron
Lunch
Visiting a friend and passing through
I live a few blocks away
My puppy loves leaves!
Nice walk during my lunch break
Random walk
Food
A place to regroup on journey to resources
Family
Live nearby – been here 20 years
Fun
Love
Life
Scavenging
We are tourists on the prowl
Trying to keep it all moving
A love of people!
“Just Be Your Selfie” exhibit
Choosing a thought
Transition
I live two blocks away
Work
Looking for pedi-cab fares
Lunch
On my way to work
Walking to towne
ART
The graph – the piece
A wandering adventure
2nd Report from Occidental Park 9/17/14
Dr Ink and Dr Owning laid out a second graph, one week later, next to the first “Perception of Time-Speed in Relation to Distance from Optimal Position” self-graphing experiment in Seattle’s Occidental Park, as part of ARTSparks.
(photo credit: Robert Wade)
In these two poems formed from passerby answers to our survey questions, the people in the park report on Things That Spark and What Brings you to the Park:
Things That Spark
Science.
Friction and excitement.
Zig-zags.
An electronic connection between two people,
two people, two things, two thoughts, two events.
Instant, unexpected inspiration toward joy.
Friction, physical or metaphysical
Solar power acceleration.
Community coming to life.
A chemical reaction.
Connection.
A match.
Everything and everyone I see.
If it’s at the right time, the spark will happen.
Two things colliding.
The intersection of two divergent beings.
Electricity.
Fires.
The right things coming together at the right time.
Two objects colliding at a fast pace.
Shared art.
Alchemy.
Energy, emotion, love.
Instant connection with people.
Food and life.
People who smile.
Energy exchange.
Some sort of emotion.
Photosynthesis.
Coincidence
Many things!
NO idea.
Variety in life.
Flint.
Love or flint,
a sharpness.
Baby smile
Two high energy particles coming close
Excitement and something new
Passion and drive
Anything – if struck in the right way.
What Brought Us to the Park
Art!
Checking out your beautiful city
‘Cause it’s fun
Catapulting lapse in time while falling into space
The farmer’s market and bread store
Destination coordination within prefabricated reasoning
A quick stroll through Seattle
Farmer’s market
Lunch
Green space
I’m a neighbor
We were just walking around, while waiting for a friend and saw this beautiful park
Walking home from the doctor
We live just a block away
Art interactions!
Friends
Fruit
Visiting from London for a friend’s wedding
Lunch with a friend
Fate
It is the center of good and evil
A walk with my family
Visiting on my way to Portland
Chess and friends
Free bus
Moving through time and space from woods to city to home
I am travelling
The farmer’s market today
Fruit and vegetable and love
Air
Good Karma
Just walking by
Following, like sheep, a friend
Paternity leave
Spending time with family
Flowers
Time and space conspiring
Green
Walking path
Bike lanes
Visit to underground
Lunch at Pioneer Square
To drop off a slideshow
See some art
Just walked by
Chance
Report from Occidental Park 9/10/14
Vis-a-Vis Society installed a temporary graph on the street in Occidental Park, Seattle, as part of ARTSparks, asking passerby to chalk in a point on the graph by finding X = How fast does time seem to be moving? and Y = How far are you from where you want to be?
Artsparks
Test subjects then filled out a short exit survey, answering the questions:
What makes a SPARK?
What brings you to the PARK?
The answers to these questions formed a list poem, performed by Dr Ink and Dr Owning on site. A transcription:
Things that spark
a rock thrown against bricks
my old broken stove in Germany
connection
energetic connection
my sweetheart
my Joe
rocks
excitement
a flash of idea
the motivation to make that idea become tangible
living big
breathing deeply
being authentic
movement in friction
spontaneous ideation
travelling
no plans/no schedule
that special something
an ember
serendipity
when two people come together to develop/create something special
another person
a dream
the weather
collision
timing
spacing
matches on sidewalks
friction
connection
more than one
making a connection
new friends
a lighter
a match
Vis-à-Vis Society
energy
doing what you love
life
friendship, too
lunch
beautiful weather
meter
moving
thinking
seeing the moment while travelling through
humor
Charts?
Marts?
life
marks
loose change
choose change
a person’s smile
oxygen and energy
the night sky
excitement
new ideas
love
What brought us to the park
Taking a walk with an old friend
Walking with my pregnant friend who just moved to Seattle as I’m on my way to train back home to Oregon
Walking by
Just walking by
Work nearby
Wandering
Opportunity brought me near the park right when the Farmer’s market was on
Sunshine and blue skies
ice cream
picnic
on way to lunch
billiards
to see the old town of Seattle
working on bringing art to the people!
work
serendipity
I work here
to watch chess
trees
safe crosswalks
by-the-seat-of-the-pants Seattle vacation
my friend, Kristin
talking
walking
taking a walk
day with Mom
waiting for a Bolt bus
the work of the Lord
Neighborhood dweller
Wednesday Farmer’s Market
Vis-à-vis Society
meeting new people
seeing new things
Plato
photo-ops!
Lunch
Pizza Pros
seeing different things
relaxing
relaxing with myself and etc.
sightseeing
going to get lunch
time away from work
spark my inner self
exploration
love and family
air and water
the beautiful
breakfast
family
home
the atmosphere
history
warm weather
NEPO 5K DON’T RUN 2014
Vis-a-Vis Society is excited to take part for the fourth year running in NEPO 5K DON’T RUN
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6th 2014
From Hing Hay Park (ID) to NEPO House (Beacon Hill)
For just one day local artists transform nearly 5km of ordinary city streets into an urban wonderland. Come see their site-specific installations and performances, bring your friends, kids, uncles and aunts, and remember: hop, skip and jump – just don’t run!
Dr. Ink & Dr. Owning will be running “Registration” at the START line banner “DON’T STOP!” To register, select your very own Noun That Begins Again racebib from our wall of words, then get inspired by our palindrome heavy metal instructional video.
START IN HING HAY PARK (423 Maynard Ave S) 1:00 PM
ADMISSION $15. Children are free. Please bring cash.
Registration by Vis-a-Vis Society 12:00 – 3:00 PM
MC Willie Fitzgerald
Art Tours by the Frye Art Museum docents
ARTWALK 1:00 – 6:00 pm
FINISH LINE AT NEPO HOUSE (1723 S Lander St)
DJ Sharlese / Performances curated by Alice Gosti 4:00 – 6:30 PM
Chastity Belt / Dude York 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Music organized by Help Yourself Records
Drink or Don’t Drink Garden 3:00 – 9:00 PM
Food trucks: Chopstix Mobile and Curb Jumper Street Eats
IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE
http://vimeo.com/channels/398058
This video by the Vis-a-Vis Society debuted at the NEPO 5K Don’t Run on September 8th, 2012. nepohouse.org/nepo5k2012.html It was created by Drs. Ink and Owning as an instructional demonstration for DOWN + HILL to encourage participants at the event.
At the start of the 5K course, participants checked in with the Vis-a-Vis Society to select one (1) unique verb for Going Down from a list of 580 verbs and phrases generated in the Vis-a-Vis Society laboratory. After selecting a unique verb, the participant then pinned the word onto his/her front or back for the duration of the 5K experience; each participant was also asked to demonstrate in some physical manner, at least once but preferably multiple times, the selected verb while on the course. The 2012 NEPO 5K Don’t Run traversed from Beacon Hill down to the International District in Seattle, beginning under a large banner created by the Vis-a-Vis Society which read: IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE.
* Video Credits*
Scientists: Drs. Ink & Owning (a.k.a. Sierra Nelson and Rachel Kessler).
Intrepid Cameraperson for “Hill” sections: Britta Johnson.
Music: Kent Kessler.
Dog: Smudge.
Vis-a-Vis Society 