Performance Art: Secret Language
Women used fans not only as an accessory but also as a tool to attract additional attention through affectionate gestures. The secret language of fans has been used as a feminine tool across cultures to give females a voice when they historically had none. Yet, this voice came with expectations of being coy “ladylike”, not brazen or violent. The destruction of the fan is an act of defiance of these expectations.
Duration: 1 hour
The audio for this performance was only heard through one pair of headphones that was passed around to the audience. This kept the meaning of the motions secret between the performer and the listener.
A set of headphones sit on a pedestal for people to pick up and listen to. The audio has recordings of different voices saying a variety of phrases like “I love you” and “You are cruel”. This same audio is connected to an earpiece the performer is wearing under the mask and cannot be seen by the audience. When the audio says a phrase, the performer does the related action to the phrases meaning with the fan. However, because of the fan’s large scale the performer has a difficult time being “coy” with the elegant flirtatious actions. The audio over time becomes faster and faster and causes the fan the break, once it breaks the performer proceeds to tear it apart.
Performed: Gallery 825, Hollywood. LA
COY
Los Angeles Art Association is pleased to announce the opening of Coy at Gallery 825 on September 14, 2019 from 6-9pm (runs through October 18, 2019). Coy is an investigation of simplicity and modest presentation in contemporary art practice juried by Phyllis Hoffberg. Coy features artists BlackManWhiteBaby, Nika Armine, Larry Brownstein, Kerry Campbell, Ellen Cantor, Suzanne Edmonson, Megan Frances, Maureen Haldeman, Shelley Heffler, Veda B Kaya, Campbell Laird, Rich Lanet, Laura Larson, Dean Larson, Elizabeth Noble, Susan Ossoman, Osceola Refetoff, Karl Rogers, Seda Saar, Jacob Shavit, J. Sloman, Emily Snyder, Phil Tarley, Scott Trimble and Miss Art World.
In addition to the group show Coy, LAAA will also present 3 solo exhibitions by Carlos Grasso, Karen Hochman Brown and Jay Wysard.