Comments on: Reading, Writing, and Jana Leo’s Rape New York http://badatsports.com/2009/reading-writing-and-jana-leos-rape-new-york/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Contemporay art talk without the ego Wed, 09 May 2012 17:09:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Claudine Ise http://badatsports.com/2009/reading-writing-and-jana-leos-rape-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-85199 Claudine Ise Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:24:58 +0000 http://badatsports.com/?p=5887#comment-85199 Alicia, I think your observation is a sharp one - the decision to blog about Leo's project without the opportunity to see it in person is problematic and I am accountable for that. For me, the ability to point readers to the Bomb piece, which contains an interview with Leo and background discussion of the project, was the tipping point, if you will, in deciding to write about it here. But that doesn't entirely erase the suspect nature of posting on it, I agree. I might have crossed the line into sensationalist territory by blogging from a distance about a show that, as you've pointed out, demands participation on the part of viewers, and I'm basically o.k. with that because the choice for me as I saw it was, cross that line or don't mention the piece at all here. Maybe there are some readers who will be going to NY while the show is up who will now know about the show and will go experience it. I also think Leo's project here to *some* degree works on a conceptual level, but doesn't come fully into fruition until the viewer hands over their i.d. There is a book that's been published in conjunction with this project which, being portable and presumably available to those outside New York, further reframes the parameters of Leo's project again. So another answer to your question, 'how can one attempt to experience this piece without physically experiencing it' has a relatively simple answer - buy the book and read it cover to cover. So I think I shall do that next. Thank you so much for your comment and please follow up if anything I've said isn't making sense, I find writing clearly into these comment boxes difficult. Alicia, I think your observation is a sharp one – the decision to blog about Leo’s project without the opportunity to see it in person is problematic and I am accountable for that. For me, the ability to point readers to the Bomb piece, which contains an interview with Leo and background discussion of the project, was the tipping point, if you will, in deciding to write about it here. But that doesn’t entirely erase the suspect nature of posting on it, I agree. I might have crossed the line into sensationalist territory by blogging from a distance about a show that, as you’ve pointed out, demands participation on the part of viewers, and I’m basically o.k. with that because the choice for me as I saw it was, cross that line or don’t mention the piece at all here. Maybe there are some readers who will be going to NY while the show is up who will now know about the show and will go experience it. I also think Leo’s project here to *some* degree works on a conceptual level, but doesn’t come fully into fruition until the viewer hands over their i.d.

There is a book that’s been published in conjunction with this project which, being portable and presumably available to those outside New York, further reframes the parameters of Leo’s project again. So another answer to your question, ‘how can one attempt to experience this piece without physically experiencing it’ has a relatively simple answer – buy the book and read it cover to cover. So I think I shall do that next. Thank you so much for your comment and please follow up if anything I’ve said isn’t making sense, I find writing clearly into these comment boxes difficult.

]]> By: Alicia Eler http://badatsports.com/2009/reading-writing-and-jana-leos-rape-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-85190 Alicia Eler Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:55:20 +0000 http://badatsports.com/?p=5887#comment-85190 Claudine, I'm interested in this idea you have to write about a very emotional, experiential show that you won't react to in-person. This quote sums it up: "So in that sense, I am still a participant in Leo’s project, still accountable for my decision to engage it from a distance in the manner that I have." It makes me think about people who see crime or something happen on the street, but don't react to it. In that sense, they are passive viewers who are actually allowing such activities to happen. Jana's project is very much about the active viewer, one who participates in the project. So by blogging about the show without seeing it, your contribution as a passive viewer actually proves damaging to the entire concept of this experiential piece. What do you think? Or maybe the question we should ask is this: how can one attempt to experience this piece without physically experiencing it? Claudine, I’m interested in this idea you have to write about a very emotional, experiential show that you won’t react to in-person. This quote sums it up: “So in that sense, I am still a participant in Leo’s project, still accountable for my decision to engage it from a distance in the manner that I have.”

It makes me think about people who see crime or something happen on the street, but don’t react to it. In that sense, they are passive viewers who are actually allowing such activities to happen.

Jana’s project is very much about the active viewer, one who participates in the project. So by blogging about the show without seeing it, your contribution as a passive viewer actually proves damaging to the entire concept of this experiential piece.

What do you think? Or maybe the question we should ask is this: how can one attempt to experience this piece without physically experiencing it?

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