Sleeping Babies
/Social Sculptures
Ego
Sleeping Babies - Social Sculptures is a site-specific multi media performance adventure where dance, paint, skate, sound and space converge. How all of it, the site, the showing up, the trick practiced again and again, and the small gaps of time when it’s possible, are a metaphor for how we all create. For the creative process itself. A process that asks for attention. To pay attention, to commit, to be in it. Because the site is often hidden in plain sight. The creative opportunity, also. Creativity asks to live in the space between now and later. Just a gesture isn’t enough. It’s about being all the way in. No applause, no prize money, no approval. You can’t skate a little bit. You’re in it. It’s knowing that falling is the opposite of failing. Gravity has your back. Perfect is a construct. That the reward is the constant flow. Balance and off balance. All the way in. Then out. Inspired by how Clark first painted the asphalt while his baby napped in the stroller, the performance is also an exploration of how the creative process thrives whenever you make time. How Clark, and the skaters who ride across the concrete canvas he’s made, use whatever time they have. Show up up whenever they can, work on their trick, and then they’re gone. The world pushes back in; the baby wakes up, the police comes. Honoring skate culture, the performance takes its cues from the people who ride; they make what they need, lean into the landscape, and shape it to the reckless beauty of play.
It’s knowing that falling is the opposite of failing.
No applause, no prize money, no approval.
sight in plain Hidden
the suspended sensation of deep sleep and dream; suspended from reality of gravity, hard concrete and physical reality of a rigid grown up world.
Essentially, I focused on simplicity. What could I do with skateboards to transform them into instruments capable of being sonically interesting while maintaining a good sense of DIY. I drew inspiration from a diddley-bow, which is a single string guitar instrument essentially made from a plank of wood, a bottle, and a few screws and a string.
All the way in
EN-THUSIASM original meaning: passion from within . This word comes to my mind thinking of our work together, skateboarding and art making, creative process...
This is what resonated from yesterday’s meeting which felt like a potluck of creative wonderful energy and sweet ideas. Michael referenced the following skate-films:
Matt, I would love to learn about some more music compositional structures that Clark was also resonate with describing games skateboarding and of skate which can be translated to me sound into movement… like perfect choreographic scores for a scene or two. Another choreographic score is repetition which also creates amplification.
The intentional strong rhythmic movement of stirring concrete, the slow gentle gliding of a trowel, as well as the sustained flow of the wet
concrete pouring, are such rich and beautiful dances in their own rights.
My daughter Maxine just taught me a new skateboard word: Hang time. My immediate association with the skateboard related state of suspension mid air was the child napping in the stroller.
Same is true with paint roller…
“Hanging out” in the stroller as well as the suspended sensation of deep sleep and dream; suspended from reality of gravity, hard
concrete and physical reality of a rigid grown up world.
https://www.youtube.com watch?v=4GFIXrybfKg&feature =youtu.be
A picnic table a moveable box/feature pipes with two balloons two quarter = smily face with floating eyes
A quote from yesterday’s meeting: “Creativity is in you”
the reckless beauty of play.
the “constant stream” of time amidst time present, time past, time future, time curved, time accelerated, time paused, time aerial, time rolled, time improv, time among…….
la b ou r
Ma nu al
There is a stream of consciousness inside all creative expressions that emotes a real sense of truth. That truth is found in oneness—that oneness is felt—that oneness is revealed—that oneness is challenged—that oneness is inspired—that oneness is bled for—that oneness is born of unconditional love. Art, music, dance, performance, design, video, skating can with enough unconditional love achieve the perfect stream of consciousness—that pure balance where the manual labour of love radiates through the universe. One in all it’s glory.
bones
thinking about the joy of entering the site and process in a spiraling path sideways - like skating. There is something inherently beautiful in that movement- just like our bodies, nature, bones, DNA - all spiralsindirect, complex, 3d and connected. I often wonder why we as humans often diminish our movements to the rather 2d sagittal plane in our every day lives- direct becomes flat... Straight forward hardly ever is that ... Loving this 3 d complex process.
I loved the detailed attention to the site by cleaning up plastic and metal trash. For me, that’s a way to connect to the site on a micro level. Picking up plastic bottles, straws, bags, cups also reminded me of how connected this seemingly off the grid site is to the rest of the world. If not picked up,these plastic bottles and straws would ultimately make their way into our waterways and affect the larger ecosystem. This site keeps reminding me that the urban and the wild are intertwined and nature always seems to push through somewhere, somehow...
urban and the wild are intertwined
Christine Holt Mia Pinheiro Sage Horsey Martha Ming Whitfield Roxanne Scully Jonathan Silverman Sabrina Gibson Elizabeth M. Seyler Alana Phinney Annette Urbschat Navah Stein Mollie Morgan Holly Chagnon Sarah Macdonald Mireya Guerra Lydia Kern Ruby LaBrusciano-Carris Sarah Alexander Joy Madden Jill Lyons Alison Mott Melanie Centeno Carmen Cormier David Lansky Alice Maynard
Collaborat
D a n c ers & M o ve m e nt
ors
Skateboarders Group 1
Ben Johnson Jake Correy Brendan Grasso Nate Dugan Jacob
G r o u p 4
Wyatt Cunningham Kyle Burroughs Silas Hunt Luie LaHart Kyle Vatis
Group 2 Maggie Leon Erin Featherstone Domenica Maria D Ottavio
Group 5
Group 3
Lj Twombky Nick Meerburg Max McCurdy Gabriel Martin Ian Archibald
Jay Rehbein Darren Rice Ray Iaizzi Brendan Foster
Director of Skate— Trina Zide
A site specific multimedia performance adventure
directed by Erika Senft Miller
Creative Team
Erika Senft Miller Clark Derbes Matt LaRocca Michael Jager
Music Composition and Instrument Building Matt LaRocca Musicians
Matt LaRocca Graham Fisk
Site Paintings & Costumes Clark Derbes
Video
Micah Dudash
Photography
Zine Design
Corey Hendrickson
Michael Jager Michael Laviolette Solidarity of Unbridled Labour
Audience Guides
Clark Derbes Nicole Dagesse
Skate Feature Builder
Forrest @hrednstone
Product Donations
CONS, Maven Skateshop, mavenskateshop.com, Vermont Paint Company, vtpaint.com, Rehearsal studio: South End Surfset, southendsurfset.com
Bicycle and Food Drew
Meeting place
Creston, thank you for sharing your parking lot—crestonguitars.com
Artists
Thank you for finding
the narrow spaces, precious “sleeping baby times� and showing up week after week for the process and making of this performance adventure.
Audience
Thank you for showing up tonight for this performance adventure. You make it complete.
07.2017