Field Notes from Session

Photos from last week’s Panel and Reception from our current session A Ponemos Chancla held by artist Troy Michie.

The zoot suit is a high-waisted, wide-legged men’s suit that was popular among Latino and African American communities in the 1940s and widely associated with the Zoot Suit Riots a series of racially motivated attacks in Los Angeles, California against Mexican American youth by white American servicemen in 1943.

A Ponemos Chancla reads this history of the suit in relation to the writings on camouflage by English surrealist Roland Penrose, whose lectures during WWII including “The Home Guard Manual of Camouflage” examined the utilization of texture and color in camouflage as a means of protection and concealment for strategic purposes. Drawing upon the ways that camouflage is used for protection in warfare, A Ponemos Chancla will engage how attire is employed strategically, both historically and today, in the daily lives of marginalized people. 

Artist and former Session participant, Nontsikelelo Mutiti stopping by for a meeting with current Recess Session artist Troy Michie to discuss his ephemera, A Ponemos Chancla.

PT.2: Snippets from the Service Room performance held on October 5th

PT.1: Snippets from the Service Room performance held on October 5th

http://www.publicseminar.org/2017/10/speculation-and-counter-speculation/#.Weo87RNSxE7

You are invited to offer services to our community of participants, and request services in return. We will do our best to help you find the desirable exchange and provide the most accommodating environment possible within The Service Room. Register at theserviceroom.com to either provide or receive services facilitated by the countertop utilities we offer including our kitchen facilities, computer workstation, massage bed and our station for manicure/pedicure and hairstyling. The project takes place at Recess, 41 Grand Street New York, NY 10013 as part of the Session program, from September 8 – October 28 2017.

Brendan met with former Session artist, Jonah Groeneboer, to discuss Steady Pulse. Here, Brendan shares a reference image with dancers Oisín Monaghan and John Alix (left) and Jonah (front right).

On July 18, Brendan held the first of a series of open rehearsals, titled Hit Back. While developing this work in process performance, Brendan is working with his dancers to explore the dance floor’s potential as a space of agency and political resistance. Shown here are dancers Oisín Monaghan and Khadija Griffith.

Steady Pulse includes an installation in the Recess gallery space consisting of a number of modular dance floors, felt mats, coat racks, and hangers. Dancers will use and rearrange these elements throughout performances and rehearsals, and the resulting configurations will act as traces of these activities.

Frieze published this thoughtful reflection on Brendan’s performance Free Fall 49 (2017), which he staged at the Getty in July. Brendan will present an adapted version of Free Fall on August 25 at Recess as part of Steady Pulse.

To begin his Session, Brendan put the finishing touches on a series of sculptural dance floors, painted in varying flesh tones. These floors will be a central element of the Steady Pulse inspiration and will be the ground for dance rehearsals and performances.

In conjunction with Wonder Room, Dr. Regina N. Bradley wrote a new text, Smelling Like Outside, as part of Recess’s Critical Writing Program. The text is published in partnership with Southern Glossary, a contemporary Southern art and photography magazine.

As part of Wonder Room, Allison has installed a “front porch” in front of Recess. Referencing the common presence of front porches on Southern homes, this enclave invites passersby to take a moment to slow down even amidst the bustling Soho streets. Here, a selection of images show the artist (top left image) and other visitors enjoying the porch.

On June 22, Wonder Room hosted a Book Club with Shantrelle P. Lewis. Shantrelle, a curator and researcher, led a rich discussion on the text "Mojo Workin'": The Old African-American Hoodoo System by Katrina Hazzard-Gordon, touching on topics such as how Hoodoo is portrayed in pop culture and how the legacy and influence of Hoodoo manifests across the contemporary cultural landscape.

On June 21, Wonder Room hosted “Deep in the Quiet Wood: Song Circle with Imani Uzuri.” In this short clip, Imani Uzuri leads the audience in a round of song.