As if a captive controls conditional logic

Moving image (full run time: 18 min 49 sec, trailer run time:1 min )

“As if a captive controls conditional logic,” synthesizes the sound, video, movement and painting documentation of five performances completed in the summer of 2024 on Governors Island, NYC (somewhat like a trailer). Each performance lasted about twenty minutes and began with me standing on an approximately eight by four foot canvas; prompted to engage with it and a compilation of sounds from gospel music group the Clark Sisters, an interview/conversation of Sonia Sanchez and Lucille Clifton and another interview excerpt between Dr. Joy James, Da’Shaun Harrison and an unnamed audience member in discussion playing through speakers. I move around the canvas on my feet, spreading paint in response to the environment and sounds with intermittent vocal responses as well. The performance ends with a painting, produced by gesticulations of the paint and my body’s movement. Full moving image piece is available upon request from the artist.

Explicit language used.

I believe all content used falls under the remits of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this I will negotiate and/or remove said content. It is not my intent to in any way infringe on their content ownership. If you happen to find your art or images in the video please let me know and I will be glad to credit you. Also note no copyright infringement is intended and I do not own nor claim to own any music recordings heard in this video.

All unoriginal audio was drawn from:

Joy James and Da’Shaun Harrison in conversation with Jalessah Jackson. YouTube, uploaded by Auburn Avenue Research Library, Apr 5, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYH5hUZzM3w

Lucille Clifton & Sonia Sanchez: Mirrors & Windows. YouTube, uploaded by Cave Canem Foundation, Oct 16, 2016.

The Gospel. Directed by David Leivick, Frederick A. Ritzenberg, performance by The Clark Sisters. 1982.

5mb 001 As if a captive controls conditional logic #1_Caretking.jpg

002 As if a captive controls conditional logic #2 Protest.jpg

003 As if a captive controls conditional logic #3 Movement Making.jpg

004 As if a captive controls conditional logic #4_Marroonage.jpg

005 As if a captive controls conditional logic #5 WarResistance.jpg

Image titles:

As if a captive controls conditional logic #1 (Caretaking)

As if a captive controls conditional logic #2 (Protest)

As if a captive controls conditional logic #3 (Movement making)

As if a captive controls conditional logic #4 (Marroonage)

As if a captive controls conditional logic #5 (War Resistance)

FULL PROJECT STATEMENT

I believe that art shouldn’t require explanation. I also believe art can be supplemented with explanations. Through various entry points (sound, painting, movement, oration, etc..) this project investigates the ability to honor and mark the dead and others in “live,” time and current physical place (Governors Island, NY) using the body, paint, canvas, sound and built environment . The title, “As if a captive controls conditional logic,” is a reference to two key concepts: the captive maternal and conditional logic; the former I use to subvert the latter through iterative performances and documentation.

This idea became a set of five performances that may continue in the future but, for now, have ended. Each performance lasts about twenty minutes and begins with me standing on an approximately eight foot by four foot canvas, a compilation of sounds from gospel music group the Clark Sisters, an interview/conversation of Sonia Sanchez and Lucille Clifton and another interview excerpt between Dr. Joy James, Da’Shaun Harrison and an unnamed audience member in discussion playing through speakers. I move around the canvas on my feet, spreading paint in response to the environment and sounds with intermittent vocal responses as well. The performance ends with a painting, produced by gesticulations of the paint and my body’s movement .

Here, The captive maternal describes a function of beings in the current world at different traversable stages. This work lies around stage one and two as explained by Dr. Joy James:

In the earlier stages one sees the conflicted or celebratory Captive Maternal; survival under captivity requires or dictates compromises: Stage 1. Continued protest against exploitation, denigration, impoverishment, and imprisonment impacts individual and communal registers shaped by the material, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, psychological, sexual. Protesters emerge from among the conventional and compliant caretakers and begin to engage in refusals; they raise the digitus impudicus, chant and yell in protests: Stage 2.

Conditional logic refers to the if then statements used in computational coding and statistics. Sequential actions are based on assessing conditions, typically binary choices (yes/no, is or is not) and reacting rationally. This is also a common way to frame linear thinking. For example if you see clouds, you hear raindrops, you conclude that it is raining. IF cloud AND raindrop sound THEN raining. All elements of this project assist in synthesizing the aforementioned or relational concepts; oscillating around docility and refusal.

Additionally, throughout this research I reference the artistic and scholarly practices of: Pope.L, Paul Egre, Hans Rott, Sam Gilliam, Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Kazuo Shiraga and Lorraine O’Grady. I’ve been able to draw several conclusions through this work; the first being that there is still much to be investigate pertaining to epistemological approaches to intuitive, embodied or spiritually informed art and/or research practices. Second, reflecting and interrogating the construction of identity on one's ability to conduct research and subsequently the efficacy of the work was greatly impactful to my practice in challenging how and what statements I attempt to make as an artist.