Acéphal Magical

I have done some unusual gigs in my life, like playing the musical saw in the window of a Gap store, or at the horse races of Bellmont, or dressed as a half Anita Ekbert – half clown at the Rainbow Room’s ‘Felini Parade’. I even played the saw dressed as a witch, sitting INSIDE a sculpture at Socrates Sculpture Park. But I think the most unusual gig I ever had was for an art installation of Jamie Isenstein:
I had to play the musical saw dressed as a magician, wearing a top hat that came all the way down to my shoulders (thus covering my face completely). I was accompanied by the most surreal orchestra: a fan blowing to and fro, the wind of which blew into a series of bottles filled with water at varying degrees (thus the wind from the fan played the bottles).
The performance was video-taped as a 2 channel video installation on infinite loop.

It was the middle of summer – can you imagine how hot I was dressed in a magician’s suit, with a top hat covering my head entirly? But it wasn’t the sweating which was the challenge – the challenge was breathing under the hat… Not to mention playing the musical saw blind-folded…
The music written by Paul Hogan is beautiful and haunting. Amazing what the composer got out of a fan, some old bottles and a saw 🙂

Thank you Gus Dimino for the photo!

The idea behind the headlessness is brilliant – the exhibit deals with our perception of people who have died. We know they are gone, and yet we are still influenced by their lives, their body of work, their actions. The headlessness signifies a person who is not with us any more. Yet an action still takes place, something is still being influenced by the person who is not with us any more.
I think Ms. Isenstein is a brilliant artist, and I would like to urge you all to go see her exhibit in Chelsea:

Thank you Gus Dimino for the photo!

Acéphal Magical
September 6 – October 20, 2007
Opening reception Thursday, September 6th 6-8pm

Andrew Kreps Gallery
525 West 22nd St.
New York, NY 10011
(TEL) 212-741-8849