2001-10-14

wow i'm in a good mood. All of a sudden. A huge squadron of pigeons practically swooped down on me. They were frantic. Like they didn't know if i was going to cross the sidewalk or not, so they didn't know where to land. They only knew that they had to land. and they actually forced me onto the road, except i was blinded and this truck almost hit me.

Then i got an egg sandwhich for dennis, the lobby security man. Way back when you may remember i stated i thought he may be of Pakistani origin. Well i was wrong; it turns out he is south american, from Equador or something. Wow, i was off base on that one! well, that's typical american xeno-dysfunctia for you.

Dennis asked me if i could help him with his calling card. He was trying to call his family in south america, for the past eight hours. He's so cute, he's near 50, and he always says: "aah, shucks"

anyway, i helped him out, by identifying his PIN number as having a poorly labeled '8' instead of a '6'.

and that was cool.

last night was the music/arts fest at the space. well, it was supposed to be all day, but things didn't really get rolling until 5 or 6 or even 7, some would say. But when they started rolling, whoo-hoo. it was great. the only sad thing that happened was that Tom Eaton, who was to play at 3 in the afternoon, had no one to watch him. not even me. I was still at work.

Liz, of the Beggar's group, pulled off the following stunt. As her performance, she told the manager that the Empire State Building was on fire. a simple, yet dramatic act. Then she left.

Well, the reaction was swift. We stopped the guitarists on stage. everyone was upset, trying to find some info on the radio about it. the first thing you think now, when you hear something like that, is that its true. that the fears we have been supressing or ignoring in our minds are in fact viable and not to be ignored.

People were crying, people were running to go and see. i've been thinking about this all night and day. it was a simple hoax, yes. and we were able to get on with the night fine. the only thing that could possibly make this act 'art' was the setting. it was at an art-event. therefore using the old 'setting is the meaning' clause in contemporary art - making.

I don't mind stepping on a few people's toes if there is some real goal in a performance. but this was an ultimate extremist move, almost a gimmick. it was like jerry springer. The hoax becomes a thing to ponder, to consider. the new york police dept. gets hundreds of hoaxes now. envelopes filled with nothing but talcom powder. bags that are left behind on a subway just by simple mistake become suspicious, and the entire block is evacuated. (this happened only 500 feet from where kelli and i stay). We are suddenly a paranoid nation.

I think the point of all of this is that we have to live our lives without fear. just go about your business, and act prudently.

but this 'piece' didn't express a point. it just simply raised a point. it didn't have a frame, i think, to contain the art. unless you consider the entire context of kids hanging out in a building watching artists the framework.

anyway, i'm still thinking about it. obviously.