Finally I can move my work space out of our living room and into the new renovated garage / studio space.
Suddenly we have space in the living room and are now looking for a nice couch which can double up as a guest bed. Ideally a couch needs to look good, be practical and it definitely needs to be ultra comfortable…
This morning when I started working and was looking for some images, I came across a spontaneous and fun ‘preformed photography action’* I did some time ago in a holiday flat, and decided to turn the photographs into a GIF (moving image).
Couch Testing by Imke Rust
Wishing you all a wonderful and comfortable day!
* Sometimes it is difficult to perfectly describe my art. I hope this term comes close, but am not sure. Often I do a performance kind of work, but without an audience. I document it through photographs or video. Yet the action is the central part and the photography just a way to share it with you. So it is neither pure photography, nor a performance in its original definition.
For the first time I will share one of my art videos on my blog. I still must get around to update my webpage with pics and info about my latest solo exhibition for you, but till I get to do that, I thought of sharing the video “An infinite scream passing through the Namib” with you. The 4min video is a short documentation of an art action which I have done in Swakopmund in April 2012. It was publicly shown for the first time at my exhibition in December 2012 in Swakopmund. Guests of the exhibition loved this fun video so much, that I decided to share it with everybody on my blog too.
Me re-enacting the Scream by Edvard Munch on the Swakopmund Jetty.
Here a short info what the whole art action is about:
In order to raise the local and global awareness about the dangers of the exploitation and destruction of the Namib desert and coastal area through mining and other proposed industrial developments, I initiated this public art action based on Munch’s painting “The Scream”. During the hour before sunset I asked passersby to re-enact the scene of the original painting to show their concern for our Namibian environment and have photographed their ‘screams’, while the whole action has been captured on film by Steffen Holzkamp of Onexa A+V.
In 2011 I have painted my own version of the Scream (you can see it here). Munch’s “Scream” painting has always reminded me of the jetty in Swakopmund where I grew up, and slowly the idea developed for this art action. The title came from what Munch has said about his inspiration for the painting.
“I was walking along a path with two friends—the sun was setting — suddenly the sky turned blood red — I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence —there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city — my friends walked on,and I stood there trembling with anxiety — and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.” Edvard Munch (1863-1944) about his work “The Scream (of Nature)
Also have a look at Part II to see some of the photographs taken during this action!
Did you like the video? Did it put a smile on your face? Or a new thought into your head? Does it inspire you to think of what you can do for the environment?
Then please share this post with your friends via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or by email. And please show your support by leaving a comment or “Like” either here or on YouTube. Thank you!
Imke Rust 