My video performance begins with a person’s hand (mine) opening a knife and starting to play with it. The face is unseen until fairly far in. The playing with the knife and implied intentional unanimity of the person who would choose to film this implies a glorification of knives and violence. The intense music also communicates this. However, once I drop the knife, the illusion is shattered. Clumsiness is implied, which implies comedic innocence, and the unanimity is broken when I come into frame to pick it up. As the work continues, it seems indeed this character does not really know what he’s doing with the knife. I do like the song, which may seem somewhat violent and scary to an unfamiliar listener, but the song just makes me want to relax and play air guitar. The knife is essentially an imaginary instrument I don’t know how to play. I’d like to learn how to play this song on guitar, but I can’t play guitar. It is somewhat self-depreciating.

Song: Kerosene by Big Black

I got the idea for this project while listening to an artist’s stream while he talked with some friends and guests. I found the dichotomy between the absurdity of their humor and the (from my perspective) level-headedness in political discussion quite interesting.

I added some more formal sources dealing with similar topics from a few comedians I like. I think the conversation from the livestream serves as an example of the lessons that can be taken away from the comedians being used in everyday discussions.

1. Window Rattling
2. Door Handle
3. Power Generator
4. Keys
5. Footsteps
6. Xbox
7. Seat Shuffling
8. Chair Shuffling
9. Socks on Floor
10. Flip Flops
11. Whistling
12. Papers Turning
13. Clearing Throat
14. Moving Plastic
15. Coins in a Cup
16. Trash
17. Door Unlocking
18. Door Opening
19. Door Shutting
20. Singing

I combined my sequence of 10 photos of me drawing into this gif, which I posted to my twitter with the caption “I drew”. As per usual feedback on twitter, I got 2 likes. I suppose that platform doesn’t foster discussion very much.

The drawing is a mechanical creature that I simply sat down and started drawing, as I sometimes do. I don’t usually share what I draw, but I think people can find these things mildly interesting to look at, especially when shown step-by-step.