Self portrait performance- Aida

    This performance is similar to my previous one. I find it easier to express myself through the action of drawing. However, this is out of my comfort zone because I tend not to show my drawing process. This time I roughly drew a self-portrait. I was inspired by the artist Yoko Ono and how outspoken she was about social issues. The work I made discusses the topics of how people will prefer to drown in the endless void that is the media rather than use it to bring more awareness to issues and face
world problems. I, myself, am also guilty of ignoring the news, and world events going on because it's easier to stare at the social media apps on the phone. In the book, The Art of Self Invention by Joanne Finkelstein, she states "Depictions of the modern individual overwhelmed by circumstance and paralyzed into amoral torpor are part of the mid-twentieth century Zeitgeist." This really is an accurate description of most people who use the media. 

    Most countries if not all, censor or restrict what is shown and is not in media. Especially, when there its situations where the government is not shown in a favorable light. Even in our "progressive" country, there are many politicians that instead of restricting hate in the media and everywhere else, we see (Florida) banning discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in their schools. We also see politicians state false narratives to further their political goals on TV, social media, and any other form of communication. The author of The Art of Self Invention states, ". . . the media needs to be controlled, censorship must exist and anarchic ideas must be contained. Even if such safeguards were implemented, the anxiety continues that advertisers, retailers, politicians, and so on can recruit us to support their interests if they apply certain techniques of persuasion." I want to emphasize that we all need to be skeptical about what we see and hear. Many of us including myself need to research and pay attention to what is actually going on around us. Not to the point of paranoia but just be more aware and not walk while looking at your phone. 

     My fear is multiple injustices going unnoticed. There is an article called  Performance Art: An Introduction by Dr. Virginia B. Spivey that helped me think about what I wanted to bring up in my performance. The author states, "Indeed, at its worst, performance art can seem gratuitous, boring or just plain weird.  But, at its best, it taps into our most basic shared instincts: our physical and psychological needs for food, shelter, sex, and human interaction; our individual fears and self-consciousness; our concerns about life, the future, and the world we live in." Now I feel like mine leans more on the boring side due to how long it is but I hope it is watched fully. I used many sounds throughout the video, and I start off with congo drums because I always hear them outside. I live next to a vintage cd/ cassette/ music place that has some elders that play the drums outside.