St. Roch
KK Projects, New Orleans, LA
Oct. 31 - Nov. 30, 2008
For KKProjects New Orleans Biennial exhibition, Tony Oursler collaborated with St Roch neighbors to create film projections at three locations; a brickyard, a warehouse, and a tree.
Directing remotely via cell phone, Oursler read poetry in a variety of (rather comical) pitches, which are chorused by the neighbors. The session was recorded by documentary filmmaker Rebecca Snedeker in the remnants of Kysa Johnsons installation in Double Shotgun.
This first day of filming ended in Mutiny when the group of boys (pictured above) usurped Ourslers poetry, transforming Wonderful World Spin Round, to Wonderful girl, come round, a singing performance which eventually erupted into Beautiful Girl, Come on Girl, accompanied by an elaborate stomping/clapping performance (also captured by Snedeker).
Oursler and the neighbors, then quite familiar by voice, met in person for a second session upon his return for a site visit. This visit included the neighborhood girls dancing (and rapping) to the music of a live harp.
Selection of Words:
mud mud mud brick mud mud mud brick mud mud mud
drip drop clock stop splash trash crash cash water water wander everywhere
Bone God: say it with a brick swirl twirl whirl swirl twirl whirl swirl twirl whirl
click here click there click click everywhere Play: I'm the bad guy.. wait ... don't... do it to me like that...
9 lives, still in the dark, second life, 3 wishes, wash away one chance Oh no, stream of negative charges pour down wonderful world spin round
Play: Sticking leeches on myself going up down me down round round you higher higher floating Im floating Im floating floating floating away away away
play: you be a good person, OK OK we need a few of them around around around calm Im very calm calm off, we don't want to know, turn it off Play: follow the money money money
trick out landscape escape wait for me, Im a real person stumbling block unlock brick one on top of the other up up Play consciousness experimentation