Near and Far

Near and Far

A site specific exploration into solitude and reintegration into society Emily Maughan 2012

Contents 1-2

What is Near and Far?

3

I Wanted

4-5

Initial Research, Preparation and Past Work

6-8

Silence

9-11

Sensory Walking and History

12-14

Ritual and Rites of Passage

15-21

Performance and Audience

22-25

Dolly and Objects

26-27

Difficult Transitions and Communication

28-30

Chameleon Approach & Diverse Audiences

31-33

The Event

34

Context on Practice, Practice on Context

35

Budget

36-39

Evaluation and Reflections

40-42

Bibliography & Websites

43-50

Appendices

What is Near and Far?

A six week durational site specific exploration into solitude and reintegration into society that aimed to explore the two approaches, analysing their effect on the creative process. My main objective was to strengthen my mind and creative flow as an artist, exploring diverse modes of conversation thorough site, public participation and response. Intense focus was devoted to repetition and routine to facilitate a systematic, strong and precise structure as the foundation throughout the project. The chosen location, Eire, was specifically selected with its parallels to Cornwall, sharing mutual historical and spiritual Celtic connections.

Phase one, three weeks of silence and isolation, involved repetition, routine, sensory walking and Vipassana meditation. Combining these elements as creative tools, I was able to experiment and explore performance through walking and develop my mindfulness technique. Using automatic writing, I documented my stream of consciousness, monitoring how a combination of solitude, silence and walking accentuated the imagination and strengthened productivity.

I wrote notes if approached by, or needed to communicate with the public and in making connections using this unfamiliar methodology these casual meetings developed into performances. The public became my audience and initially were unwittingly key parts of my story and project and their contribution was recognised in communicative phase two with the epithet, Note Exchange People.

This silent phase was comparable to a pilgrimage, a rite of passage where one retreats from the world with total immersion in silence and daily walking, focussing on the environment, history and creative thinking. Whilst walking, I collected found objects that I individually tagged and documented to give me concrete evidence of my voyage of discovery. Thus, on completion of this initial phase, I had created an object sculpture which was a tangible timeline illustrating my transition from silence to communication, as every item symbolized a story, a feeling and a memory.

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Every journey is a journey to connect with people, to connect with the planet and connect with oneself.

Satish Kumar.2009.

Earth Pilgrim.

The second phase was my re-integration into society, facing the challenging metamorphosis of forsaking silence and embracing contact. I emerged into the world of commotion and communication after twenty one days of silence. I wanted to combine my phase one experiences to focus on becoming part of the community also encompassing my previous work in this field.

Phase one and two are clearly diverse, but are they compatible or conflicting? What did the silence phase offer the communicative phase and how did they connect? How did silence, walking and solitude affect me as an artist? Why were some were transitions more challenging? What impact did the context have on my practice and what effect did my practice have on the context?

How is my performance comparable to rites of passage and ritual? Which artists and philosophers influenced me throughout this experience? Can art help communities and society?

These are questions I hope to resolve in this document incorporating key elements in my explorations, including comparisons to my original proposal and links to my previous practice, my methods, planning and procedures, research and artists, ideas and performance, successes, failures, reflection and thoughts for future work.

I Wanted In the time I had .....

I wanted to communicate with no words.

I wanted to investigate walking as a creative tool.

I wanted to experiment with senses.

I wanted to share with a community.

I wanted to give something back to the site.

I wanted to get closer to nature.

I wanted to strengthen my mindfulness.

I wanted to explore ritual and the idea of a pilgrimage.

I wanted to examine the fabric off the site and its historical context and note its effects on my practice.

I wanted to challenge myself both mentally and physically as an artist.

I wanted to weave together parts of my previous work with this project.

I wanted to leave familiarity and comfort behind.

I wanted to be lost and found.

I wanted to face fears and conquer.

I wanted to use objects and investigate attachments to them.

I wanted to practice vipassana meditation to assist with focus and awareness.

I wanted a quest, a journey.

I wanted to analyse art in society I wanted to make stories.

I wanted to create performance from the everyday.

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Initial Research and Preparation The motivation for this project was inspired by Marina Abramovic. I was intrigued by a particular project of hers, Cleaning the House, a boot camp for artists to make them stronger, more focussed and able to endure the most arduous of tasks. ‘Abramovic states the need to prepare your being for performance, cleansing the body from the inside just as you would clean your house.’ I recognised that preparing my mind prior to the silent phase was crucial to enable me to cope with the challenge.

This kind of diligence aims to focus and centre a person and the ability to be in the moment, bringing forward a strength of character as one feels accomplishment in these tasks. People often set their sights somewhat high, selecting unattainable targets, resulting in overwhelming feelings of failure. Abramovic’s tasks require concentration and determination but essentially are achievable, leading to feelings of satisfaction and self worth on completion of the challenges.

Tehching Hsieh also inspired me to experiment with time and being.

If you want to get somewhere, then you are a tourist. A tourist looks for self gratification. A pilgrim seeks to commune with other and unite the whole. Connecting and relating is true spirituality. Spirituality is present everywhere, in every moment.

Satish Kumar.2009.

Earth Pilgrim:108

The context of some of my previous practice was based on communication with the public and social issues, including a video presentation in the art of communication, concentrating on loneliness, strangers and loss of connection within society. Two artists who featured in this video and of whom I strongly indentify with are Suzi Gablik and Mierle Laderman Ukeles, both concerned with society, empathy and communication. I wanted to incorporate this previous work with a combination of selfisolation, silence, spirituality and endurance as they too are modes of performance I sought to explore.

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Dr Joanne ‘Bob’ Whalley led an Abramovic workshop involving working with a blindfolded partner to experience a familiar walk, with one partner acting as a mute guide for obvious safety reasons. The effects of this experience were significant in heightening the senses and imagination and increasing spatial awareness. I was conscious of the immediate strengthening of my other senses striving to compensate for the lack of sight. These findings intensified my desire to investigate further using walking and senses as a tool for creativity and writing.

The next task involved ten minutes of sitting, sipping a full glass of water. It was remarkable to determine how the brain is easily distracted by its surroundings and noise. Giving complete focus to the single action of sipping water, my brain connected to the activity and was able to ‘switch off’ any distraction and my senses were intensified by being silent and focussing concentration.

I talked to Lee Miller about my ideas who suggested enrolling on a ten day Vipassana course as preparation for three weeks of silence. This is a ten day Buddhist meditation technique centred on the respiratory system and sensations in the body and is proven to strengthen the mind. Combining this with walking, one establishes a stronger sense of mindfulness and this awareness helps determine one’s potential to cope with challenges. Initially, I did not appreciate this technique would play such an intrinsic part in my preparation and indeed the entirety of my project, but it taught me to work diligently, gaining serenity in complete silence and has been an invaluable tool. Ansuman Bizwas, an advocate of Vipassana meditation, maintains ithe technigue will help give focus, precision and clarification of ideas. Furthermore, Vipassana promotes a deeper awareness of both one’s surroundings and in oneself to become more mindful. He says ‘Improvisation and play are important elements in my practice, and at its core is the technique of Vipassana meditation.’

Silence Both mental and physical preparations were crucial and my success in ten days of silence on the Vipassana course gave me confidence in that sphere. I needed to build up stamina and fitness to cope with up to six hours daily walking, often in turbulent weather, selecting difficult terrain rather than familiar roads to feel complete isolation. Close attention to the practical aspects, as in appropriate maps, waterproofs, compass, torch and warm clothing was essential. I equipped myself with relevant books for research and ensured my internet and mobile phone contact was off limits with no access to music and television.

In my original proposal, my goal was to use walking and silence as a tool for creation, alongside objects and meditation. I was able to adhere closely to my initial proposal and because of my thorough preparation and successes with time management, was able to make shifts and amendments as necessary without any major changes, ensuring a secure base for my work to evolve over the twenty one days. By diligently adhering to my schedule, my body and mind adjusted accordingly, developing both physical and mental strength.

My main strategy as a coping mechanism was a daily blog. Isolated, with all contact disabled, I used this structured documentation to give project advisor, Dr Simon Persighetti, an insight into my explorations as it would have been impossible to offer feedback without this practical scheme.

The blog proved an invaluable driving force for motivation and a creative ritual, monitoring my experiences accurately and methodically. Another successful device was carrying a note book at all times to practise automatic writing, selecting the most significant parts for main documentation. I was also highly dependant on Vipassana meditation as this accentuated my mindfulness, enabling me to function with precision and dedication. My Vipassana rituals amalgamated with my project and, like the blog, became integral to ensuring the maximum potential was gained from this experience. The ritual collection of an object became a daily challenge, documenting each one; these objects instigated a real ‘push factor’, encouraging me to scrutinize all areas in detail as I walked, as is shown by the final array of articles.

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The objectives of my silence were to experiment with an alternative way of thinking and focus solely on developing my own practice and to establish my needs and processes as an artist. By investigating the site and the historical, spiritual and geographical context of the space, I worked on improvised and spontaneous performance ideas using nature as my backdrop and inspiration.

I wanted to be unobtrusive and avoid interfering with the natural environment. All the found objects had been lost, unnoticed or pieces of rubbish but by creating stories I gave them importance and purpose. Our global obsession and attachment to possessions alarms me and religion is a prime example of our infatuation with object worship. In the Western world, this detrimental and destructive aspect of our society is magnified as greed and mass consumerism creates an infinite abundance of manmade objects at the expense of nature and our environment. ‘All objects must be consecrated to the ideology of consumerism and, under its false dynamic, enjoy the same prestigious status; when an entire society has become an addict it becomes a closed system that presents few choices to individuals in terms of the roles they may take, or the directions they may pursue. At this point freedom in our society has come to mean primarily the consumers right to choose’.(Gablik.1991:39) In our culture, most people prefer to disregard the problems of landfills and overpopulation, choosing to ignore the fact that mass production cannot produce on the scale required nor can we dispose of our waste ecologically. Most of my finds were indeed rubbish, but I demonstrated they can be used creatively and explored my attachment with inanimate objects and my reasoning in doing so.

All objects must be consecrated to the ideology of consumerism and, under its false dynamic, enjoy the same prestigious status; when an entire society has become an addict it becomes a closed system that presents few choices to individuals in terms of the roles they may take, or the directions they may pursue. At this point freedom in our society has come to mean primarily the consumers right to choose.

Suzi Gablik. 1991.p39.

The Re-enchantment of Art.

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I developed innovative means of communicating through video, photographs and writing. Using silence and walking, freed from distractions of the outside world, I observed how this affected my writing and my vision. This natural environment increased my awareness of how society has neglected the ability to tap into our unconscious mind and connect with both body and mind in the way of our ancestors. Greed, the media and technology have desensitised us to the horrors of the world. ‘We live in a society that has drastically narrowed our sensitivity to moral and spiritual issues’ (Gablik.1991.3) Communication with nature and our inner self, while enjoying silence has been lost. Again it is the mentality of, ‘if I can’t see the destruction and pain, or I refuse to look, it doesn’t matter.’ Minds are programmed to believe we can never have enough; we as a nation are never satisfied, destroying society and our environment at an alarming speed.

Through my work I formed a dialogue between myself and nature. In my practice, I wanted to bring awareness of the importance of nature and draw attention to spirituality and stories to help to bring society back together. I feel there is truth in this quote of the evangelist, Billy Graham, ‘Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand the spines of others are often stiffened.’ If more artists used their work for the good of the world, people would listen as I postulate they do want change. Art and music have the potential to make a difference but we must find alternative ways to measure success, creating work for the good of all, focussing on convincing modern society to reassess what is truly important beyond material gain. I began to understand more how I envisaged myself as an artist.

I do not seek fame or material gain but want to create meaningful work. Our culture is overloaded with what is allegedly described as ‘entertainment’, mindless shallow trivia with no significance. I want to make art and performance that engages people, where they feel welcome and secure, not alienated, as globally there is enough discomfort and mistrust. Art needs to be used as a release for everyone not just the artist.

The golden curtain being drawn at the start of my silent phase signifies the beginning . Then on the 21 day the curtain is raised symbolising my transition into society and communication

We have become incredibly addicted to certain kinds of experience at the expense of others, such as community, for example, or ritual. We live in a culture that has little capacity for ritual.

Suzi Gablik 1991.p3 The Re-enchantment of Art.

Sensory Walking and History Sensory walking for up to six hours a day throughout my twenty one days of silence was an essential part of my project, exploring the geographical and historical context of place in close detail. My daily motivation was to ‘tread with feeling,’ focussing on particular senses, perhaps concentrating on my sense of smell for the first half of the walk and hearing in the latter. These investigations heightened my senses making my imagination distinctly more vivid and active, constantly thinking and creating. I experimented with pace and rhythm, endurance, stopping and starting, developing small performances and scores around this work. My observational skills improved and my senses became acute and noticeably more responsive.

Alone, enveloping myself in nature, I witnessed its incredible resilience and self sufficiency.

Use of a note pad liberated my stream of consciousness, recording the reaction of each of my senses and the effect on my feelings and emotions. Silence meant researching sites without the assistance of local knowledge. If I could not ascertain authentic facts, I devised my own interpretations, giving me an extra incentive to explore, encouraging me to become bold in my search for information. Walking created a conversation with the land, a performance between nature and myself, as I became aware of being watched by my surroundings. Deeply connected to the earth, every part of my being felt creative and in harmony, enjoying a great affinity with all the animals and birds who, ultimately, became part of my performances.

I could train myself mentally with creative meditation to face life more attentively.

Basically, it's an effective cheap drug and a great high! And it's objectless. You can't buy an empty, clear, and unimpeded mind, which is the result of purificatory performance .

Linda M Montano.2005: 37 Letters

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An influential source during my project was Rebecca Solnit with her Wanderlust, A History of Walking that examines walking and history. Solnit explains that as a society we have forgotten how to walk, observe and appreciate the land and nature. Many of the world’s greatest thinkers, including Aristotle and Plato, drew on walking as a creative tool.

‘When you give yourself to places, they give you yourself back; the more one comes to know them, the more one seeds them with the invisible crop of memories and associations that will be waiting for you when you come back, while new places offer up new thoughts and new possibilities.’ (Solnit.2001.13) I related this to my practice, understanding the concept of ‘giving yourself to a place’, as not only will it give you yourself back but it gives something back to you far greater than any manmade object, a sacred connection with the earth and echoes of the past. I embraced ideas that would not have evolved by being static or indoors. Some days, the same path was selected to monitor the repetition or changes of a familiar route. Other days, I opted for an unknown direction, without referring to a map, to experience not knowing, not controlling, and thus giving myself to the land.

Solnit considers technology in that mobile phones have become a buffer to nature creating a lethargic culture, unappreciative of the delicacy of the environment and all it provides. I agree with this and realise how reliant I am on my phone and the internet. A major difficulty happened on day two of my project as when battling through a storm, I lost the phone I kept for emergencies and for a clock. Unable to speak, I conquered this problem by writing a note to Dave Precious, owner of the barn, indicating my predicament. His brief reply note included a spare phone that only stored his number and rescue services. Feeling secure, I also felt liberated through losing my phone with all its numbers.

When walking on roads the feet have a constant rhythm.

Unchanging.

Leave the road and walk off track.

The pace becomes erratic and unsure.

It slips, slides, slows or speeds dependant on what is under foot.

Off track is unknown footing.

The noises of nature are ever changing, Hear the birds, the wind, the rain.

Hear in detail, a strange orchestra of sound.

Emily Maughan 2012 Near and Far blog.

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The Westerland was a place of great spiritual force, there is a power and majesty in the empty land.

Damien Enright.2011:97 Walks in West Cork

West Ireland has a bleak history with both the invasion and domination of the English and the Potato Famine that instigated a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration.

Remnants of stone houses and famine walls serve as reminders of this sombre tragedy in a land, achingly beautiful and remote.

Investigating the site and its history intensified my aspiration to create performances to encapsulate the ambience of the site to portray the isolation and economic struggle of the people in this environment. My proposed intention was to walk for five hours a day, however, on location realised it was impossible to be too specific as my route and function of each walk would differ. Endurance and sensory walking can vary greatly, experimenting with pace, duration and rhythms, often with adverse weather conditions which also interfered with photography and videoing.

I like walking because it is slow, and I suspect the mind, like the feet works at about three miles an hour. If this is so, then modern life is moving faster than the speed of thoughts, or thoughtfulness.

Rebecca Solnit.2002: 10 Wanderlust.

Ritual and Rites of Passage When investigating a place, I delve into the history and feelings gathered from the fabric of the site. Reflecting on what I want to communicate through site work would depend on my role as performer ensuring careful and considered responses. I wanted to enhance and bestow something back to the space that had stimulated my mind creativity in a way I had not experienced.

My silent retreat in a dilapidated barn in remote Eire is analogous with a ritual, a symbolic rite of passage where I stood at the threshold to make the transition from communication to silence. Immersing myself in a comparatively different time and space for 21 days gave me a sense of invisibility and of being an undefined shadow. This phase was a time of uncertainty and discovery in my thinking and my practice and a chance to develop as an artist. Solving daily issues and problems, without any guidance, invoked a strengthening of my character. Subjugating fear to confront situations and locations far beyond my comfort zone, I applied myself with new ways of thinking and performing by using silence, nature and walking. My mind and body became more pliable and open to suggestions from all around; every decision had to be made by just me. In Victor Turner’s, The Ritual Process, anthropologist Arnold Van Gennep defines rites of passage as ‘rites which accompany every change of place, state and social position or age.’ This statement embodies my silent phase, leading on to the complex transition of reintegrating myself into society, with a change of social position and once again become accustomed to using my voice and endeavouring to explain my silent experience to the public.

Van Gennep has shown that all rites of passage or "transition" are marked by three phases: separation, margin (or limen, signifying "threshold" in Latin), and aggregation. The first phase (of separation) comprises symbolic behaviour signifying the detachment of the individual or group either from an earlier fixed point in the social structure, from a set of cultural conditions (a "state"), or from both. During the intervening "liminal" period, the characteristics of the ritual subject (the "passenger") are ambiguous; he passes through a cultural realm that has few or none of the attributes of the past or coming state. In the third phase (reaggregation or reincorporation), the passage is consummated.

Victor Turner.1969:97 The Ritual Process

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This experiment of being separated from the world was taxing but total isolation enabled me to be completely absorbed in my own processes. My muse in this phase was performance artist and teacher, Linda M. Montano, who has worked with Hsieh in her career. Her book, Letters, revealed an abundance of theory, advice and performance ideas that encompassed many of my thought processes and training and affirmed the value of working with time and endurance for balance and concentration. ‘My performances train me for the long run. My performances are daily life and train me for daily life and any hardships that fate sends my way. I do hard work in case life gets hard, then I will always be ready’ (Letters.2005:38) Montano’s work explores combining life and art to illustrate that life is art. Much of her practice is based around artistic rituals. I could identify with her and her thought processes as we are both obsessive with order and routine, working very closely with endurance, ritual, fear and pressure. Silence is fundamental to her and she recommends retreats and meditation, having spent years in a nunnery and various Buddhist retreats and communes. A performance piece was 7 Years of Living Art, a time based endurance performance in which she concentrated on chakras, wearing the same colour for a year to correspond with a specific chakra. Montano said it ‘focuses the mind in a directed way so that art becomes a vehicle for meditation’. I believe I executed my work in the same way in the time scale I had for my project, the object finds when walking became a form of meditation and ritual in which I learnt the value of concentrating on specific things only. By freeing myself from consumerism and not giving the brain such abundant choices, my world became simplistic, basic and found pieces of rubbish inspiring and sacred on my journey. Montano’s thoughts and practices were extremely useful to me during this phase making connections on many levels.

Nature is an ecstatic living presence, teeming with elemental spirits. The solitary, ritual journey into the wilderness, facing the unknown in total isolation, has always been a classic part of shamanistic training, since it engages one directly with fear.

Suzi Gablik.1991.53 The Reenchantment of Art

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Satish Kumar, a peace and environmental activist, and his book, Spiritual Compass, a pilgrimage about ritual and journeys, was inspirational. His intriguing and beautiful writing brings awareness and insight to society and creates a dialogue with nature that is no longer heard in our culture and needs this kind of person to vocalise in ‘doing’. The objective of his 8000 miles pilgrimage was to deliver a packet of tea to each leader of the world’s four nuclear powers. In John Vidal’s interview of 2008, he asked Kumar to respond to his critics who said his goals were totally unrealistic, to which he replied; ‘Is my approach unrealistic? Look at what realists have done for us. They have led us to war and climate change, poverty on an unimaginable scale, and wholesale ecological destruction. Half of humanity goes to bed hungry because of all the realistic leaders in the world. I tell people who call me 'unrealistic' to show me what their realism has done. Realism is an outdated, overplayed and wholly exaggerated concept. Nature is realistic, and I would say that man is the only being who is not. "Who else goes to bed hungry? Not the snakes or the tigers or any other animal. Nature does not need 'realistic' Tescos or Monsantos to feed themselves. Our system of 'realistic' business leadership has totally failed.’ I could not agree more with this statement and my time in silence and nature clarifies nature is truly realistic and realism is indeed an outdated concept.

Performances such as Kumar’s tea walk are censured by dictatorial authorities as subversive, and we are conditioned to believe it is useless and foolish to try and change the world, even in the smallest of ways, so we sit back, do nothing and admit defeat. Kumar actually heard of my project and believed in what I was trying to achieve and sent me a signed copy of his book Earth Pilgrim. This book explores society and its economic struggles and the need to help others to unite in working towards instigating change. It coincides with my practice and moved me to create and perform, using random findings to demonstrate the wonder of walking and looking at things differently. I left only natural marks on the landscape such as occasional stone arrows that often directed a chance observer to discover something that would otherwise be unnoticed. These arrows became yet another ritual for me.

In my original proposal, I expressed a wish to experiment with fear, endurance and solitude to explore a different way of thinking.

My walking experiences certainly fulfilled this far more than I had anticipated. I experienced fear from being lost and in uncomfortable situations, the fear of being completely alone with nobody to turn to and feeling alienated from society.

The strangest fear of all was the fear of my own mind and observing how intense isolation can play tricks, provoking feelings that would otherwise remain dormant and unnoticed.

In this way, I witnessed an extreme feeling of fulfilment gained by forcing the mind to focus that created new coping mechanisms, a new found attention that will benefit my future work.

Performance and Audience I created many different performances during this phase of the project. Some, based on the concept of ritual, others involving ‘silent speaking’ to demonstrate my own interpretations of isolation. I played with levels, distance and pace, rhythms and sound scapes. Making use of my surroundings incorporating the environment, the terrain and wildlife to create impromptu works, sporadically influenced by discovered historical facts.

My original proposal was to work with ‘natural movement’ and sound scapes, using my guitar as a tool, but I quickly realised it was inappropriate for the context. I wanted to use the sounds of nature and a manmade instrument was not sympathetic with those sounds. My natural movement idea evolved and shifted as I found it became false and forced. Instead of replicating my walks through movement the decision was made to improvise during walks ‘in the moment’ rather than returning to the barn to create performances. It seemed apt to create as I travelled using nature to inspire the ideas and spontaneity. Detailed documentation, video footage and photographs can be found on my blog www.nearandfareire.com. Below are examples of a handful of performances from this phase.

Chiming Cup. refers to a silver cup found on a walk, I discovered its resonance when struck with a metal object the noise resembling a gong or chime used in my familiar meditation, Vipassana. I chimed the cup repeatedly, captured this beautiful moment on video as although the noise was loud and manmade it harmonised with the stillness and bird song and reminded me of a ritual or a summoning and afterwards I felt extremely relaxed.

Blind Walking. inspired by the Abramovic workshop and Montano’s blindfold performances. Without vision, the other senses compensate for the loss of sight. I experimented with this and the resulting disorientation and found it reminiscent of some earlier site workshops with performance artists Zierle and Carter.

Exploring the senses with them inspired me to investigate my sensory practise further in this project; I experimented with this daily, experiencing feeling of disorientation and fear, including loss of balance.

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Grassy Silence. I wanted to give something back to the tranquillity and peace of the garden, using the grass cuttings in some way, restoring them back to life, creating a communication with the garden in way that does not interfere but interrupts the site. I videoed this piece, experimenting with sunlight, shadows and bird song colouring the image. Artist Robert Montgomery, creates art using pieces of poetry or political statements and places them around various locations. Montgomery said, ‘It's a simple piece actually, it just says in capital letters, ‘WHENEVER YOU SEE THE SUN REFLECTED IN THE WINDOW OF A BUILDING IT IS AN ANGEL,’ and it's made of 12-volt LED lights that you can run off solar power. It is about trying to find a sense of the sacred in the everyday, a sense of God in the mundane. It seems to me it would be good for us to do that right now.’ I found this statement poignant, compelling me to make ‘silence’ and a sense of sacred in my every day. It also fits in with my work on society and communication in that we need to see beauty again in the world and in ourselves.

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Scratch Silence Performance.

This is for the people in the ground For these lands For the suffering beneath my feet For the silenced The ground aches with history

A movement piece inside the remnants of a famine house. I investigated sounds inside the ruin and its reverberations; I explored tapping on my body, the louder the sound, the harder I hit myself so I actually felt discomfort as I performed. My discomfort is not comparative to the historical suffering, but it is all I could do. Exposing my neck, I am symbolising vulnerability, the head tapping represents the aching history, the mouth portrays silence and helplessness, and the tapping of the heart to express ‘never forgotten.’

In past work, I have been influenced by Goat Island and how they communicate through movement combining text and historical issues. A particular piece that inspired this performance was How Dear to Me the Hour when Daylight Dies, Goulish said, ‘It is inspired by the concept of pilgrimage and explores innocence, violence, loss, responsibility’ I am using movement to create a dialogue between myself, the famine house and the ground, I wanted to communicate loss, pain, frustration, memory, desperation and hopelessness, ending with a feeling of remembrance.

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Never

Grow

Up

Peter Pan’s Puddle. Oil spilt on a puddle presented a mirror effect that accentuated my shadow beautifully. Throughout the three weeks I used my shadow as a kind of communication and for company. In honour of this and the imminent completion of twenty one days, I decided to make this performance. Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up, was my inspiration. He played with his shadow and although in reality it is just a dark spot on the ground, in this wonderful fantasy it is tangible and his playmate. I focussed on making a signal for the closure phase one. I used my hands to symbolise twenty one and silence.

During this performance I was watched by two farmers on a tractor and three passing boats observed my fascination with the puddle, one of which stopped sailing for a time, my unexpected audience .

Fairy stories and various books and films played in my mind and I felt a childlike freedom and a new sense of wonder in my work and surroundings. My imagination became wildly enthusiastic given a sense of adventure infused by walking and finding mental stimulation in the slightest and oddest of things. I created stories for found objects such as small ‘fairy’s bottle’ (pictured/left) giving imagery of Tinkerbelle. My work was influenced by ‘The Uses of Enchantment’ by, psychologist Bruno Bettleheim (1978), teaching adults about the importance of fairytales and how they deal with the emotions we face throughout our lives. Fairy tales are unique, not only as a form of literature, but as works of art which are fully comprehensible to the child, as no other form of art is. As with all great art, the fairy tale’s deepest meaning will be different to each person and different for the same person at various moments of his life. The child will extract different meanings from the same fairytale depending on his interests and needs of the moment.’(Bettlehiem.1978:12) I relate to this as during my isolation from society, the old stories became significant, helping me to create my own world and giving meaning to my adventures. I gained strength and was able to use my fear of the unknown to my advantage in the form of story documentation. Marina Warner has also been influential in my thought processes and ideas with her book, From Beast to the Blonde (1995), especially in the chapter entitled, ‘In the Cave of the Enchantress’. I connected to this with my retreat from society and the barn representing my ‘cave’ where I created stories and ritual performances.

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The stories and performances were all inspired by the site and through nature. I created short ‘conversation’ videos with wildlife throughout this phase. Some were very moving and emotional as my new experiences intensified my mindfulness and sensitivity.

Weaving together the elements of beauty, loneliness, dark history, and ghosts of past and present, I created stories from all my travels, including the continuous economic struggle for existence in this remote area with little prospect of employment.

Me A creature of habit.

A fan of routine.

Methodical and precise.

Always punctual.

And repeat.

Emily Maughan.2012 Near and Far blog.

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Silence

Louder

speaks

than

words

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My audience during this phase were the uninvited, invited, encountered and the unexpected, people I chanced upon and became a silent performer.

When shopping locally for supplies, using notes I was welcomed with the appropriate epithet of ‘the silent walking maiden’. My work was for both the out of context blog readers and the people of the area who were in direct context to my work.

Though notes allowed a connection, the public became both participants and audience and thus we collaborated as they unknowingly became woven into my silent story. My journey of silence also generated an unseen audience, through reading my daily blog. Its primary function was documentation for me and also to enable my advisor to monitor my project, but it gathered a following unbeknown to me.

With silent note exchanges, I believe I became more notable than if I used dialogue, in a gentle, unobtrusive way. By not speaking, I earned my ticket to the public’s time, as reading my note and slowly taking in the words, they looked at me, not just a glance but decent acknowledgement and remembrance. I had made a memorable impression and a connection. The public appeared more interested in the note aspect with information about the project. On giving a note, I became very aware of body language. It appeared after reading, they felt the need to talk excessively loud and gesticulate more than was necessary. This I believe was because they felt unnatural and needed to overcompensate for the lack of dialogue and sounds between us. These became strange almost comical performances. I said in my original proposal ‘I want to develop my skills as an artist by studying the art of conversation through site, public participation and response.’ I feel I have achieved this in phase one by working with nature to create performances focussed on mindfulness and forming a dialogue with the site and the public in a considerate and responsible way. S.N Goenka who taught me Vipassana says; 'Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally. This increases awareness, clarity and acceptance.’ In this phase I have also looked at conversation through public participation and response in the form of note exchanges and accidental performance.

Though silent I became recognized by many members of the public who learned to communicate and form an affiliation with me. Linda Montano affirmed, ‘I think there are a lot of different levels as audience, unless it's a person or a piece that has such a following it needs to be seen. Other than that I think as performance artists we draw the audience with a taste that corresponds to ours.’ - (Letters. 2005:50) I agree with this quote, an audience to me is not about how many people or if they love your work. An audience can be tiny; an audience can be you and one other person, an audience can be in nature, mine was often cows, birds, pigs and sheep. My work is not about what is right or wrong but what motivates me and to put it simply people either do or do not like it.

Dolly and Objects On my silent journey, I created an object map that included the date, number and location of the find and the title of every blog post, relating the story of each day. My initial objectives were unclear although my original proposal did incorporate collecting objects whilst walking to use for meditation, so elaborating on this I created stories from my ‘finds’. They became a great incentive, forming a physical calendar, marking each day, with thoughts, feelings, geographical location and historical context.

A key element in my project was an old trolley, found on my first three mile walk home in the hot sun after stocking up on provisions. This was my initial shopping expedition and the heavy bags made walking a struggle but I had no choice. Pausing for breath, I spotted a battered old supermarket trolley shrouded in brambles.

Amazed by this discovery, I struggled to free it, heaving it onto the road and, feeling elated and relieved, I loaded my bags to continue the long walk home pushing the trolley. I created a video exploring the sounds of the trolley on the tarmac, pausing intermittently to observe the impact of the noisy trolley on the otherwise quiet road. Naming it, ‘Dolly the Trolley,’ I had no inkling of the attachment I would form or how fundamental Dolly would be to my project.

While climbing Mount Knocknageeha to investigate levels, I visualized creating a sculpture using Dolly as my keeper of memories holding all the objects I collected. No longer did I refer to the trolley as ‘it’ but instead as ‘she’ and this delightful discovery became very special. I believe this was from being alone for so long, reading enchantment books and developing my overactive imagination. Dolly had been my saviour, a physical body that developed throughout this phase and she became my ritual creation.

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In my original proposal, when discussing a probable idea for my dissertation, objects featured highly and our fascination and attachment to them. During my project I witnessed firsthand how we can become attached to a nondescript object. They do not need to be expensive, but could have emotional value.

Finding significance in all the objects created sentimental attachments. By walking mindfully, I unearthed the core of my project as finding these discarded items became an imperative for the daily building of my object map to create ‘Dolly The Object Sculpture’ revealing the secret story of my silent journey.

On a walk I came across a display board and a platform with a sculpture of a ‘Fiddler and Dancer’, the public used to dance, tell stories and sing songs on the platform. The information revealed that traditions in Eire, with its social fabric and community spirit, are disappearing. I was moved by this attempt to bring awareness of this problem in society, again reminded of Eire’s parallels with Cornwall, both have fading traditions and loss of local people due to unemployment and the recession. I already knew I wanted to give something back to this site and community in return for the inspiration it had given me. Finding the Fiddler and the Dancer gave me the idea of recreating a similar community get together, with Dolly as the focal point for my stories enabling me to share my silent experience in Eire with the local community. In a small way during the silence I experienced how it feels to be alone all the time and to have nobody. I had only a handful of kind words from the acceptors of my 'note exchanges' and received no touch or affection. Globally many elderly, homeless, bullied, and cognitively impaired people are locked in this situation. I could not compare my position to the hardships of others having chosen my isolation as a creative tool, knowing that it was a temporary arrangement and would ultimately return to my life of love and warmth. ‘Today give a stranger one of your smiles, it might be the only sunshine he sees all day,’ ( H. Jackson Brown. Jnr).

Receiving a smile during my silence truly warmed me as for a moment I did not feel alone and invisible and it meant so much to receive interaction of any kind.

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On an endurance walk I found a ‘social club’ and through note exchanges investigated the possibility of the space to put on an event using Dolly the object sculpture and the idea of bringing back community spirit. From researching I discovered it once was a cafe but due to the recession had to close. A group of people got together to reopen as a social club run by volunteers and donations. This fitted with my project and previous work in so many ways as this venue was created as a result of economical struggles forming a place for the local community to socialise and help to keep establishments open.

The Dolly project is literally a great vehicle to tell or retell and transform your experience into an act of communication and inspiration.

Dr Simon Persighetti.2012 Comment on Near and Far blog.

I marked the end of my three week silence with the completion of Dolly the Object Sculpture. I had taken the objects from the space and in return I had created a sculpture to give back to the space. The public could then observe Dolly and ask questions about the silent phase and I retold the experience in the form of stories. Over time these stories will be weaved and exaggerated, just like the stories we know and love are ever-changing and evolving, like Chinese whispers.

After my silence my advisor, Simon Persighetti, mentioned a tale of a traditional Chinese story teller who wandered the country with an array of objects wrapped in a blanket. Ringing a bell to gather the public, he laid the blanket on the floor on which he placed the objects in diverse orders to form the stories, much like pictures in a book but with objects as illustrations. I embraced this concept as a further idea for Dolly especially as I had the silver cup which made a beautiful noise when struck, just like the storyteller’s bell. Finding objects and making stories for each is similar to some of ‘Walk, Walk Walk’ artist Claire Qualmann’s projects, including Darned Memory; in which a story is built around a mere chip fork, this helps with my theory that even pieces of rubbish can be given importance and a new lease of life.

Dolly was my prompt to recall where, when and how I felt with each discovery. Even the weather, smells and sounds are included from my sensory walking; Dolly was a mobile emotional calendar, each object also linked to my posts in the blog. In Linda M Montano’s book Letters, she states that performance can be anything from art, sculptures, and videos to everyday life occurrences. Dolly the object sculpture was a bridge that linked both phases of my project. I knew I wanted to try Dolly out on the public and talk about my work as an artist.

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She is my voice in a time when I cannot not speak.

She holds memories, fears, joys and sadness She keeps the unwanted, unloved and unnoticed She is a life giver She is a map maker She carries the senses She brings back imagination She remembers the weather

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Difficult Transitions and Communication My first words were expressed in a song, it was strange to hear how husky my voice had become after being unused. This experiment was videoed with the idea of ‘life’ performance that corresponded with Montano’s ideas. I felt very vulnerable as normally would practise before performing and this was the first time my voice had been heard by anyone, including myself, for three weeks. I chose to sing as I wanted the moment to be poignant and memorable not simply just saying words as I believe my silence and walking deserved recognition, as it was both beneficially and inspirationally mind altering.

The reluctance to start the transition to the next phase was due to a realisation of my attachment to being in silence, having had an intense but incredibly fulfilling three weeks. As with Abramovic’s Cleaning the House, I too felt an enormous sense of achievement, self worth and strengthening of character and indentified completely with her phrase ‘cleansing the body inside and out as preparation in performance and as an artist’.

The transition from silence to communication was one of the most challenging parts of the project. I had to create a bridge, in the same respect as the conversion from communication to silence. On reflection, I had been better equipped for the silence with preparations such a Vipassana course and my strict, routine based schedule which included daily sensory walking and study of relevant material. This was extreme alteration from being silent to suddenly communicating and involved working in a completely different, more chaotic way with reliance on other people. In this hypersensitive state I became extremely emotional and found the transition difficult to manage.

Over stimulated and overwhelmed by outside influences including global news, I pushed myself by planning a schedule for the reintegration with meetings at the social club and a visit to a nursing home to perform. Having been used to writing notes, I felt uncomfortable and strangely inhibited in resuming communication with spoken words, and took nearly a whole week to adjust adequately.

I connected with my ‘note exchange’ people, visiting the shops frequented for supplies during my silence and was finally able to vocalise questions. It was surreal and demanding and I became increasingly aware of how much unnecessary information we are given and how people communicate without listening. Having become accustomed to working creatively and productively in silent solitude I now had to make radical changes in my work and routine to function as part of society and retrain my brain to cope in a new alien working environment, this meant cutting down the six hour walks as this was not sociable and was too time consuming for this phase.

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An intense challenge was to leave my accommodation at the barn for a several days. There was a danger of becoming too comfortable so a change of lodgings was needed to begin this next, fast moving phase and I wanted to continue challenging myself. This made sense geographically as the new accommodation was closer to the social club leading to meeting more people. Having been used to being alone in silence, I relocated to stay with a local woman and a stranger to me.

This stranger had offered accommodation to give me an insight to a different community and I did not anticipate any problems with this transfer.

After dedicating so much time and effort to my project in the silent phase, this transition and change of routine was extremely disconcerting resulting in despondency, homesickness and inability to focus. The only option was to talk honestly, by first acknowledging and understanding the problems then clarifying my need for complete focus and diligence. Though grateful for somewhere to stay, I suggested returning to the barn for a few days. This open discussion proved to be beneficial and the pressure eased a little.

I believe that if life is hard and I chose to do something harder, then I can homoeopathically balance the two difficulties. Snake venom is use to cure snake bites!

Linda M .Montano.2005.43 Letters.

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Chameleon Approach and Diverse Audiences The founders of the social club were keen discuss my ideas for the event. Initially it was a struggle to put it into words, having been so used to solitude and non verbal communication. I was not prepared for how hard it would be to speak fluidly and with conviction. Having complete confidence in my work throughout the silent phase but nobody to bounce ideas off or ask for opinions, I realised the need to convince other people by being clear and concise.

‘Selling’ my project to the social club helped me develop suitable and engaging language in which to present my work. They were interested in my project and felt the evening would work well.

This gave me a base structure of ideas for the event and a realisation that Dolly might be accessible for varying age groups and walks of life. I was keen to develop a technique created in my previous practice called ‘chameleon approach’, to adapt and shift to suit my surroundings and audiences. My intention was to trial Dolly with diverse environments and ages. I began this challenge by volunteering at the social club where I met a variety of people including an artist who offered to film my event evening. Volunteering was a direct and accessible way to meet people in the community within a short time frame. Dolly was set up as an installation in the social club, this proved to be successful as the public could inspect her closely and read the tags and ask me questions.

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Flyers and posters were designed to advertise the event, having made contacts through note exchanges many of whom hoped to attend. I was asked to sing in a lively music session and handed out flyers thus extending my network in the area.

Visiting a local nursing home I was given a one and a half hour slot with the residents with Dolly.

It was challenging, even more so after spending three weeks in silence, disconnected from the world to now engage and connect with an audience. The visit made me aware of the need to cater for every eventuality, to be prepared to improvise on the spot confidently without hesitation and make everyone feel included. This was beneficial to my work and my future plans and helped to give me more understanding of myself as an artist.

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Similarly, I approached the head teacher of the local primary school, and was given four thirty minute slots with different age groups. This was valuable practice enabling experimentation with the ‘chameleon approach’ and I established my project worked with a range of age groups. Children and the elderly ‘say what they see’ and question everything often expressing fantastic answers, stories and ideas. Both groups of society are an inspiring audience, the innocent, imaginative children and the experienced, imaginative elderly. As children we have remarkable imaginations that often dull with maturity and responsibility, and on nearing the end of our lives we often revert to this childlike imagination, a full circle. It has been moving to witness this while talking about my project to both generations.

The Event Performing in two different environments, a school and nursing home, gave me confidence in the versatility of my project as I had proved it could be academic, educational and inspirational for varied ages and my designed ‘chameleon approach’ helped make the work accessible. My event at the social club was called ‘Bringing Back Community Spirit.’ Having given out many flyers and putting up posters, I anticipated a large audience.

During this time, help was provided by various people to serve mulled wine and snacks and prepare the room. This assistance was offered as I had volunteered at the social club, thus enabling collaboration and a trade for trade; it also brought people together in the preparation.

My intention for this ultimate part of my project was to communicate my silent experience to the public using Dolly as a creative tool. From investigating the geography and history of this remote area, I became acutely aware of the public’s desire to socialise and unite but feelings of isolation were prevalent.

Through my silent walking, I experienced this to some degree, the feeling of invisibility. Both this project and my past work have concentrated on the social fabric of place and our environment with dialogue and conversation at its core. This event linked all I had learned, enabling me to endeavour to bring people together through objects, stories, songs and poetry. Dolly was positioned as an installation on a table to give height and the public were able to view throughout the evening.

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The option was given for people to share or to simply just enjoy the evening with no pressure or forced audience participation. Although slightly disappointed with the number of people after making valiant endeavours in advertising, there was an array of performances, including a local who had never sung in public, musicians, storytellers and a poet. I noted how people appreciated a comfortable space to perform and feel supported. One lady attended my event having commented on my blog after being given a flyer. She lives in isolation, caring for her autistic son twenty four hours a day with no outside help and was inspired by my writing and performances.

Two of my note exchange people arrived and although they did not perform, they were an intrinsic part of my durational performance. I have added accounts from some members of the audience in the appendices.

On reflection, the low attendance might have had a number of reasons, the remoteness of the area, the November weather and perhaps I unwittingly deterred some locals by offering to ‘bring back community spirit’ as this could have misconstrued. I was a stranger and therefore perhaps regarded as not part of the community, but I felt, as did many others that I had, for a short while, become part of the community and the site. Many of the regulars to the social club who attended were expatriates, described by some of the locals as ‘blow ins’ meaning they ‘come and go’. I made this observation after the event and wondered how the evening would have differed in another location, such as a local Irish pub? Would I have had the same welcome or have been shunned? This gave realisation in the variants of isolation globally and that there are numerous ways to be alone.

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Context on Practice, Practice on Context Phase one- The site and circumstances of the context of my project helped frame and fix meaning to my practice as it influenced the way I worked and my thinking patterns by retreating into solitude, silence, nature and walking. The context in phase one was a silent stranger entering another country to a remote area with a low population, from this I researched the historical and spiritual aspects of Eire and its history and economical difficulties, and observed the spirit of the people which fascinated me and encouraged my practice.

My practice impacted the context by walking and studying the geography enabling me to link different locations with the historical facts learnt, thus experiencing my research first hand. I gained feeling of what had gone before through the landscapes and remnants of buildings. This combination helped to build stories based through my findings and developed a close connection to the site accentuated by walking for extended hours. This was amplified by my silence developing a higher consciousness with my surroundings and by being self sufficient I controlled each day’s destiny. I chose to use challenging communication methods which opened up different circumstances and opportunities to me which would not have arisen in a different context.

Part of the context of this phase was a walking pilgrimage for the mind and body involving collecting objects. The final sculpture created was made from objects found on various locations during my interactions and conversations with the site. Creating the object map and sculpture became a daily ritual ending in a physical structure vocalising my silence. My practice and context impacted and fed off each other as I was able to intertwine and link the two. For example, the ‘Fiddler and the Dancer’ statues and display revealed on a walk led me towards the idea of creating a community event. Another walk guided me to the social club, again helping to mould the direction of my project and created a bridge from silence to communication.

Phase two- The context impacted my practice in this phase in many ways; I was concerned with communication within a small community and the economy of the area. I had to allow input from the outside and to become less of a stranger, often meaning each day’s destiny was dependent on people. In phase one I silently looked into the historical and economical facts and issues of my strange environment. I created a dialogue, a conversation with nature and the space through the medium of walking, but in phase two I became vocal, able to ask questions and relay my findings with local people. My practice was influenced by the context of this phase by learning more about the economy and parallels Eire has with Cornwall thus finding a need to give something back to the site and the public and bring further awareness of my project to the community. My practice here consisted of meeting people, teaching and sharing ideas. I found myself in collaborations some of which were successful and some conflicted with my goals.

Performances at both the nursing home and school influenced and inspired two generations who knew the context and locations of my walks and were able to offer input and knowledge of the area and my findings. At the social club Dolly was displayed as an installation and her mobility made transportation easy, a factor that will be useful in my future endeavours. Created during my practice inspired by the context and using objects from the site, Dolly linked phase one and two and my practice and context within the project.

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Budget Original Proposal budget Items Travel and travel insurance Accommodation

Expenditure for 6 weeks £140

Actual budget for project Items

Expenditure for 6 weeks £140

£0.00

Travel and travel insurance Accommodation

Materials

£200

Materials

£160

Sustenance

£600

Sustenance

£400

Emergency money

£200

Emergency money

NOT NEEDED

Total

£1140

Total

£700

Money saved over summer Costs all covered

£1200

Money saved over summer Costs all covered

£1200

£60 spare

£0.00

£400 over

I was money conscious throughout the project and careful budgeting left me with a £400 remainder. In my original proposal I said I wanted to go back to basics in the first three weeks and live a simple existence with minimal spending. Living in a remote area entailed a total walk of nearly 6 kilometres to get supplies so I bought the bare necessities for a healthy diet and monitored my allowance for each day with no snacking, so sustenance was lower than expected. My six week project focussed on many things but money became a low priority, thanks to my austerity.

Materials were the items spent to create Dolly Sculpture Glue Paint Tape Paper Paint-brushes Tags Total= £40 Other material paid for the food, mulled wine and candles at the event.

Total = £80 5 Posters and 145 flyers on gloss paper/in colour Total = £40 I was very fortunate to be given free accommodation for the entire project

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Reflections and Evaluation The two phases are clearly diverse and conflicted but showed compatibly in some respects. One confliction was the transition from silence to communication and reintegrating into society, this still gives me discomfort as I felt more secure and focussed away from society surrounded by nature and my own silence. I postulate this is because society and everyday life stops one from dedicating time to develop mindfulness, in fact it is ignored and we are rarely still or quiet. By removing myself from the communicative world and without its distractions, I was able to devote my undivided attention to my practice and nature, site specific work and sensory walking. Combining these elements as creative tools, as I believe our ancestors would have done, created overwhelming feelings of compassion for my environment and equally overwhelming sadness at our mass consumerist greed in the western world and my unwillingness to return and be part of the destruction. On making the transition into communication these feelings were almost uncontrollable causing an extreme experience with valuable meaning.

In addition I was exhausted after twenty one days of solid productivity and exercise besides feeling pressure for swiftness in self recovery within the time frame of the project. This problem was alleviated by my advisor, Simon Persighetti, advising me to slow down and not attempt drastic changes but to accept being in a hyper sensitised state and extremely fragile. It took approximately five days to create a bridge from silence to communication, commencing with short conversations with note exchangers then returning to solitude and walking, until I gradually stabilised myself to perform at the nursing home. I believe by approaching the note exchangers I felt a slight familiarity and a degree of security, not only was I talking for the first time in three weeks but I was a stranger in Eire. Initially, I was surprised to find that I felt lonelier in communication than in silence, preferring nature to society. I came to the conclusion that society and art needs to change and work together for the common good. There is so much isolation in the world and I discovered this comes in many different forms, technology has supposedly brought us together as we can connect with people all over the world but I believe it has made society lonelier than ever and our obsession with money, possessions and fame has clouded our views as to what really matters, such as compassion for each other, sustainability, our environment and nature .

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While investigating silence and sensory walking, I was tested on many occasions with much hardship but nevertheless this incredible experience formed a deep connection with the site and with nature. In addition, combating innumerable fears assisted by a strict regime, walking extended hours, researching of artists and the ritual of daily blog posts and object collections.

Development of mindfulness and explorations of walking as a creative tool assisted the formulation of performance and stories of which I postulate would not have occurred nor had the same impact had I been within society, I created performances that sympathised and complimented nature.

I entered the silence with the expectance of it being the most laborious phase of the project, but found the opposite as the communicative phase was undeniably more demanding and problematic, partly due to the reliance and collaborations with others and furthermore the accommodation change. The cacophony and commotion of society generated an unwelcome shift in my creativity and thought processes.

From my original proposal my aims were, ‘to explore an alternative way of thinking through observing my surroundings in detail, concentrating on repetition and tasks aimed to heighten productivity which will benefit me as a contemporary artist.’ I achieved success in putting my proposal into practice. However, in hindsight, my proposal appears to give more focus to the aims and objectives of the silent phase than to the reintegration into society. I believe this is because without adequate dedication and preparation towards the silent phase, it would perhaps have been unsuccessful, as it required mental and physical training to cope with such an extended amount of time alone and in silence in an alien environment. More focus was necessary in preparation to transcend into communication. From a critical viewpoint, I should have been aware of this with my earlier preparation involving Vipassana. This course was only ten days but it was difficult to depart from the silence and revisit communication and I should have remembered those feelings. My mistake was to focus on learning the meditation thus I did not give equal attention to the transition period.

The change of accommodation was an unanticipated problem and an extreme test of endurance, but my experiences in the silent phase with its intense practice of mind set and control, including Vipassana meditation, enabled me to cope with this difficult environment.

I feel the change of accommodation was necessary to make a clean cut between the silent phase and the communicative phase. I feel that given the difficulties of this situation I made the best of it, but it did affect my work and I did not perform at the social club to the best of my ability because the pressure affected my ability to focus.

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I feel the silent phase worked well on its own and this phase was definitely preferable, but I gained insight and confidence in my practice from both in entirely different ways. I had developed the ability to problem solve with a clearer understanding of myself as an artist thus proving the silence period helped to strengthen me both physically and mentally. Abramovic, Montano, Thoreau, Kumar and Biswas had advised this would be the probable outcome if executed correctly. The silent phase helped me to cope with the communicative phase as without laying solid foundations the result might have been entirely different in that I would not have been able to endure the communicative environment.

Compatibility of the stages was linked by Dolly with the silent phase making a massive impact on my work. By using Dolly as a creative vehicle I was able to express my silent experience enabling performances to diverse audiences and varied environments. Furthermore, the two parts were connected by the context of the site, both historical and spiritual, forming a definite dialogue with the location and the community. I concentrated closely on the framework of my original proposal and the ideas that evolved. This proved an essential aid in forming a concrete base for the evolution of my project. Any planned elements that did not enhance the undertaking were shifted for more appropriate actions connecting with the context in a responsive way by investigating the site, thus experiencing the ‘real’ project as opposed to the hypothesis of a proposal. It is in the ‘doing’ that the creative process evolves and transforms.

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I measure my project as a success for me on many levels, primarily because I feel I accomplished my objectives and clearly see the benefits of a thorough and sound proposal as a foundation. I feel my personal development has been a newfound strength and belief in my practice and vision. I have explored many modes of conversation and varied audiences in both the silent and the communicative phases and learnt to communicate through body language alone.

Furthermore, I have a clearer thought process towards my final dissertation involving society and objects and our obsession with ‘things’. I dealt with my inner demons and combated fear and the unknown with careful, methodical routines.

Other measures of success would be the versatility of my project such as the primary school performance that inspired children to create and use walking for inspiration. The children showed such positive responses towards my community project and engaged with Dolly. This physical structure was a concrete image, facilitating communication on many levels as opposed to mere dialogue. I noted a cognitively impaired child beginning to smile broadly, animated and excited

by Dolly. A teacher commented the child does not usually show much response with anyone.

Dolly triggered positive sensory stimulation and the child became involved. At the nursing home, I was able to engage with residents some of whom the staff said barely communicate with anyone but Dolly triggered memories and stories of times gone by and a focal point, bringing the residents together. Those who normally stayed quiet vocalised in different ways. Engaging both the residents and the children in creative thinking gave each person the opportunity to be included with aspects and observations to suit all ages and minds. This creative experience was new to them and encouraged an alternative way of thinking. The social club was certainly inspired by my event and is determined to create more art projects to attract a wider choice of people. I feel I have contributed, albeit in a small way, to a permanent change and enhancement in that community. If it worked in Eire with varying ages, I believe it can generate and inspire in a wider context.

The feedback I have had (see appendices) has been positive and the project has me helped with ideas for creating and has impacted my everyday life. I have also gained contacts in Eire for future work. I want to experiment with Dolly in performance perhaps create workshops incorporating silence, stories, objects and nature. I feel more established with my expression as an artist and my love of writing has become apparent. I will endeavour to create art that makes a difference to people’s lives, with emphasis on the importance of nature and walking. Furthermore, I aim to find solutions to community problems and strengthen our belief in one another. I would like to practise as a theatre therapist of some description working in the community with the elderly or cognitively impaired adults or children as my Far and Near project has clarified my ability to inspire, help and bring hope to people.

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JOHNSTON, Sandra. 2002. Available at: http://southlondongallery.org/page/3030/ Sandra+Johnston+Performance/271 [accessed 10 August 2012] LOYD & TOWSEND ROSE. 2012. Kilcoe Castle, Cork, Ireland. Available at: http://www.ltr.co.uk/ltr -collection/kilcoe-castle/ [accessed September 5 2012] MAUGHAN, E. 2012. ‘Near and Far.’ Available at: http://nearandfareire.wordpress.com/ [Accessed October 7 2012 - January 10 2012] MONTANO, L. Available at: http://www.lindamontano.com/livemediafeeds/ [accessed November 5 2012] MONTGOMERY, Robert. 2012. Available at: http://www.robertmontgomery.org/ robertmontgomery.org/38.html [accessed October 8 2012] Narrow Gauge Railway Museum. 2013. Available at: http://www.ngrm.org.uk/Collections/ PublicCarriers/SchullAndSkibbereenRailway [accessed October 8 2012] PERSIGHETTI,S. ‘Wrights & Sites’. 2012. Available at: http://www.mis-guide.com/ [accessed October 4 2012] QUALMANN, Claire Available at: http://www.clarequalmann.co.uk/ [accessed October 14 2012] REGAN, M. Ballydehob Local History . 2012. Available at: http://www.ballydehob.ie/home/ history/ [accessed May 28th 2012] ROGERS, M. Irish Abroad.com. 2009. Available at: http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishpost/ travel/CorkersOfTowns010308.asp [accessed June 12th 2012] SCOTT, Ridley. ‘Life in a Day’. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/embed/JaFVr_cJJIY [accessed December 10 2012) SIMPSON, W, Ashley. ‘Word on the Street, Robert Montgomery.’ Available at: http:// www.interviewmagazine.com/art/robert-montgomery/ [accessed October 8 2012] SWANTON, William. 2012. ‘The Southern Star- Ballydehob’s Titanic Three.’ Southern Star [online]. Available at: http://www.southernstar.ie/News/Ballydehobs-Titanic-three-3370.htm? id=3370 [accessed June 12 2012] THE ECONOMIST. 2008. ‘Light on a Lonely Rock- Fastnet Lighthouse’. Available at: http:// www.economist.com/node/12792727 [accessed October 9 2012] Vipassana Meditation. 2012. Available at:

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APPENDIX A Contacts and addresses have been removed from all feed back for privacy protection

Feedback from the Nursing Home

As the event’s organizer in Fairfield Nursing home I had great pleasure inviting Emily in joining me for a group session where she was able to present her project to the residents and interact with them, discussing her six weeks of silence and with the help of “Dolly “which was adorned with all the objects she had found on her walks. We had a wonderful afternoon.

The people who live here all come from a rural background and are very in touch with the landscape and folklore from which they have lived stretching as far back as almost a hundred years and it was fascinating to witness how objects and Emily’s story of her own experience stimulated many of the residents to talk about their own experiences and to tell their own stories.

In talking about , and showing a curiosity for the places that are discovered by living in the heart of the countryside, it really does help older people to realise the value ,not only of their surroundings but also of the long lives they have led. The atmosphere that was created was very positive and one of the many poems was presented to Emily was an example of the magic that was part of these people’s childhood. Having worked in this situation for many years I am very aware of the hardships that a lot of people in the home have suffered and it not easy to end up in residential care, Any event that can bring up memories highlighting the wonder and joy of life are invaluable and need to be encouraged on a regular basis.

Emily’s project was a real boost and very refreshing to everyone involved, and I look forward to more events like this taking place in the future.

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APPENDIX B Barn Owners Feedback

Emily came to The Barn at the beginning of October and stayed initially for three weeks during which time her objective was to live without verbal communication. Her aim was to communicate by means of written notes and hand gestures. My primary role in the project was to supply a safe and quiet environment in which to carry out the work.

Once the project started, communication was by means of notes relating to essential events, (loss of mobile phone, internet breakdown etc) and by reading the blog. Only one note of a safety nature was passed to Emily drawing attention to the danger of the bog areas, which exist in the area. For the three-week period no words were spoken. After the three week silence there was a transition week in which communication normalised and some assistance given in terms of transport. A music session was shared as part of the reintroduction into the local society. The development of the final performance moved away to another local village and was developed at the Social Club. For personal reasons it was not possible for me to take part or assist in the final performance.

The Barn is very quiet. Often the only noise you can hear is the noise you are making yourself.

The area is safe for walking although once you move off the lanes you need to exercise great care, as the emergency services are sparse in the extreme. Injury during a walk was probably the biggest danger. Emily seemed to generate a positive outcome on each day’s expedition finding objects that she incorporated into her project. The supermarket trolley, which she found behind a wall was an incredible piece of good fortune and allowed her to clearly fix a physical dimension for the second part of the project. It was a bold thing to set out to do and succeeded on many levels. The independence shown was although the similarity to Cornwall is apparent. The presence of Emily at the Barn made almost no intrusion into my life but Emily was immediately noticeable by her absence when she left. It suggests that an overall positive energy surrounded the endeavour and lingers to this day.

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APPENDIX C Feedback from Primary School

Emily approached my secretary about her project and I was not sure at first what to expect. I spoke with Emily on the phone and she sold her project to me well, although from not seeing Dolly it was hard to imagine, I had the poster for her event and there was a small picture of ‘Dolly’ but until I saw the trolley close up I had no idea of the attention detail.

Emily arrived and met all the teachers and myself in the staff room and told us what she was going to talk about. We were intrigued, Emily visited four different classes for half an hour sessions.

She spoke with conviction and was inspiring to the children, even including the importance of recycling and reusing objects and the notion of being outside rather than at home watching television. The children asked many questions which Emily answered with ease. They were in awe of the fact she stayed silent for three weeks, one child had done a sponsored silence for a day and found it very hard.

I think the children were very taken with both Emily and Dolly, one boy said that he had an old punctured football and wanted to ‘make a Wilson’ another said that they were ‘going to go on walks to see what they could find’. The children all loved to gather round Dolly the Trolley to study the objects and ask Emily more questions, one child thought it was ‘like things in a museum, cept it is not expensive things’ We all wish Emily the best of luck and it was a pleasure to have her perform at our school, I have to say I believe she would make an imaginative teacher.

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APPENDIX D Feed back from Note Exchangers, audience and collaborators at The Event Co-founder of Ballydehob Social club.

Story Teller at The Event.

After an afternoon discussing Marina Abramovic with friends and a donkey coming into the social club, an interesting request appeared in my e-mail account that same evening. ‘A performing artist on silent quest wanting to break out of being mute by hosting an evening of stories, poetry and song.’ This was really intriguing especially after the fact I’d just graduated from a degree in the arts myself a few weeks previously.

Emily’s concept of an evening of sharing of poems and songs and music captured the essence of what the Ballydehob Social Club was established for. In her introductory talk she reminded us that evenings like that were how the local communities interacted and entertained themselves before the advent of technology. In a time of economic recession the evening was an example of how we can get together, have fun and be enriched by the shared talents of our neighbours and friends with little financial outlay.

I met Emily once she had began talking again and she explained to me what had occurred during her silent quest. It sounded hard, the 6 hours of mindful walking each day and her rudimentary accommodation in the barn seemed enough to test anyone's sanity. But what seemed to happen was a lightness of being - a higher awareness of what was happening around her, smells, light the weather and also herself. The event with songs and poetry was a great success, a crowd of around 25 people- the majority taking a turn to get up. There was a mix of entertainment, I was surprised at how many had a story or a poem to tell, and how eager they were to tell it, so we will be definitely do an evening like that again, as well as our quarterly cabaret nights.

Emily also worked a few shifts in the cafe, which was a great help as it is run by volunteers, so we appreciate any help that comes our way. I would all like to see Emily again and wish her the best.

Emily shared her experiences of walking around Ireland, in silence and the impact that had on the people she met. It obviously made people think about communication in a new way and by all accounts she got a favourable response. I particularly appreciated her thoughts on mindfulness. Emily found objects which became interwoven in her storyline.

Dolly the Trolley was an inspired way of presenting these collected objects. As a recycler and reuser I liked the way a rubber glove (among other items) could gain both artistic and social merit and cease to be merely rubbish.

I appreciated the opportunity to read aloud one of the stories for children that I wrote.

Normally events like that focus purely on music or poetry and it was a pleasure to share the story and get the positive feedback of the people there. There was some really good music that evening and the low whistle was especially welcome.

Emily herself shared some of her songs with us and I found the themes to be very touching and an indication of the open spirit within her.

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Commenter on blog and poetry reader at the event I was very drawn to the project for a number of reasons...the unfolding of its own particular story, enjoyment of reading the developing blog and particularly the self-reflective aspect of it. Prime interest was in the parallel between chosen silence and isolation and my own life as a carer and as an autistic. Son is non-verbal so this was particularly resonant. I mostly just really liked to see someone doing something outside of the norm, as norm is so boring. I liked the notion of experimentation and exploration.

Really liked the presentation of the blog, visuals captured the 'essence' of West Cork...a bit fey, a bit magical. Liked the note books at the start of each piece as they distilled what was to come. Loved this idea and Dolly herself who seemed to become a being in her own. I related to the Dolly concept, feeling like a human Dolly, bedecked with various things gathered on the journey of my own life. Dolly was intrinsically connected to creativity for me.

The event.....I thought it unfolded in a really lovely, organic sort of way, a story that had many possibilities for unfolding but formed into this one particular manifestation. But of course it was different for us all...which is also a fascinating thought, how it fitted into our own stories, how you became part of our stories and we became part of yours.

The music was so good and flowing that I thought I had misjudged in bringing poems and was worried they would bring a halt to the energy flow, the project/event was like a nexus point for all the lives of those it touched, changing their trajectories a little or a lot.

Camera man/singer at the event.

I am the Event Coordinator at the Ballydehob Social Club. In a society where people are increasingly isolated due to financial difficulties, this is a point of contact for anyone interested in re-shaping our community and making the world a better place.

Emily was volunteering here for a while.

I found her work at the social club including her project very inspiring. I was interested in Dolly and the stories behind how all the objects had been found. I like the variety at the event and everybody got involved - even those who were not performing. Since Emily has left Eire we kept her idea and the spirit of the Bringing back Community' and organized a community brunch last Sunday, which was a big success. We hope to put on more events to bring back the fading traditions of storytelling, song and dance.

The evening went well and everyone collaborated together, I filmed some of the evening and there are some beautiful moments on camera which capture some great moments.

Perhaps more of us should try to be silent and go walking alone with nature for inspiration, it is good for stories and inspiration, the proof of this is Dolly the Trolley, a 'she' not an 'it'. It was a great experience to meet Emily and I wish her all the best and plenty creative ideas more for her future.

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‘Note Exchanger’ and attended ‘The Event’

I saw Emily walking along the small winding road to my home one blustery afternoon. I was driving and I didn’t yet know who the figure, clad in rain gear and lugging a rucksack, was. I could tell by the sky that there was more rain, more wind on the way and coming soon. It’s not that often that we see ‘tourists’ in October. Perhaps because of the unlikelihood of seeing anybody on this particular road I rolled down the window and asked ‘would you like a lift?’I saw blond hair and foreign face. When all the girl did was nod and get out a piece of paper I thought that she might be a polish emigrant with a hand-written note to say that she was looking for work. But no, it was quite a different note and I was pleasantly surprised.

The project sounded brave and demanding. It caused me to self-reflect. I like silence and being in nature but I am not sure I could purposefully isolate myself and live with my own ‘loud’ silence for as long as three weeks (unless I planned to live in the wilds). There is something harder about trying to live in your own world of silence whilst essentially still living in a community as Emily was doing. I was intrigued by this girl and her project. It was so strange the next time I saw her as she could talk, and I gave her a lift again and she could ask my name and we talked about the history of the area.

I went to the event organized by Emily as part of the second half of her project, focused on bringing community spirit to life. I went with my boyfriend and enjoyed an unusual evening of various local and foreign people, - ‘blow-in’ characters sharing their art (singing, poetry, stories).

It was interesting to observe how many of these people really and deeply valued an audience, even if they were outwardly modest, even shy. I think the event Emily organized really benefited those who were brave enough to stand up and share and also those, like myself, who simply watched. The evening was one of reciprocity, which reflects what the survival of community is about.

APPENDIX E Poster from ‘The Event’

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APPENDIX F Excerpts from Near and Far blog http://nearandfareire.wordpress.com/

Tuesday 9th October 2012

12th October 2012

‘I discovered so many things in the garden and outside of the barn things I would not normally notice.

One of my main observations was the trees. Some were contorted twisted, some hollow and gnarled, while others had wire cutting into their trunks, leaving harsh deep lines on the surface. It is the unknowing of what has gone on before, deep under my feet where the trees take nutrients from the soil and wind their long roots far into the ground. Is that why many look this way? Perhaps they embody the struggle of what has been? On my journey my mind is weaving together stories of loss and loneliness, steeped in dark histories, ghosts of the past but also the ghost of the present and the continuous struggle with the economy, in these parts for some it is a constant struggle just to exist and many have to move away from this remote area as there is no employment.’

‘While concentrating on senses, I think about breathing. My vipassana meditation is all about the respiratory system, the type of breathing I have been taught is called ‘Dharma’ breathing. I concentrate on this and ponder, dependant on the time of day and weather conditions the temperature up my nostrils changes. Today is warm but the air is fresh as I breath in deeply it feels cold, the exact sensation I get from ‘Vicks vapour rub’ entering the nasal cavity. My sense of smell is more prominent.

Eyes— 24th October 2012 Today was like a rainbow You’re looking straight at me Sometimes it makes my heart hurt The eyes they want to see Arms are grasping thin air Smiles bounce off the walls Body dances blindly Feet know when to fall Fingers feel for something Searching constantly Brain works like an anchor in an ever changing sea

Different flower aromas are more noticeable than others, some over overpoweringly strong.

My favourite hedgerow dweller is honeysuckle and there is plenty of it here. If you pick a flower and bite the end of it very carefully ( the stem end, often with a little green bit that you bite off ) you can suck a tiny bit of nectar. Its delicious. My Dad showed me that when I was little. I have a taste and by doing this and smelling the honey suckle I am reminded of my childhood. That is the beautiful thing with different scents, you can be transported back to another time and place from long ago. Scents trigger emotions and this is due to olfaction and memory.

Please visit http://nearandfareire.wordpress.com/ For forty four detailed blog posts, photographic evidence and video documentation.

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