Kisses baby

Date viewed: 28/3/12 Description:

Nezaket Ekici Kirsehir 1970 “EMOTION IN MOTION”, 2002 Performance record, 4’15”, loop

In a three day performance Ekici planted kisses on every surface in the room, ranging from the closet, to the walls, the bedspread and shoes. She also kisses her body, so that lipstick marks simply everywhere. Using her body as an artistic material, the artist is contributing to the actual discourse about the human body- especially the female one as a source of emotion and special knowledge. In this performance Ekici reveals her passion and desires in the most straightforward and honest way possible thus entering into a new relationship with the viewer. ]

11.27am. I am sitting in front of the video on the floor.

The video begins with the title “Emotion in Motion”; the text is in white Helvetica font on a blank white background. This fades out to the first shot of a female with shoulder length, layered, brown hair she has lipstick smeared on and around her lips. She is wearing a short strappy white satin slip. She is looking at the camera (doesn’t look directly at camera) and is breathing heavily- her eyes focused in an intense manner. In the background there is a white wall with kiss marks on it and a small mirror.

Tuesday 24th September 2002 in black Helvetica text appears on the lower half of the screen then fades out in the first shot the camera zooms out and pans a little to the left to reveal a cross section of the room. In this white walled room (pre kiss marks) there is a mattress on the floor with white covers on top of the bed. In the center of the wall there is a small, framed portrait photo of a girl in B&W- white border, black frame. To the right of the room is a long blue satin or silk dress with a matching green satin or silk jacket hanging over it hanging on the wall. Below the dress is a small up light illuminating that area. In front of the dress is a small blue armchair with clothes casually thrown over it.

On the far left there is a small brown wooden dresser with a small mirror and items on top. Next to that to the left are the outside windows. A white radiator attached to wall in front of the dresser and positioned by the window. In the foreground there is a small white table with two white chairs. A jacket draped over the arm one of the chairs. On the table there is a bowl with two bananas visible from this angle (later we will see there is other fruit), half a bottle of red wine on the table a few cups and more bottles.

There is a tall white cabinet on the far right with a green pot plant on top.

In the next shot the female is in the same room described above, she is turned to the wall and is leaving red marks on the wall by repeatedly kissing it, there are already marks on the wall. The next shot she is sitting on the bed, she leans on over and starts to kiss the dresser.

The lipstick is applied with a lipstick brush. She reapplies lipstick

Next shot she kisses the wall Next shot she kisses the table Next shot she kisses bed Next shot she kisses cabinet corner (repeatedly) There is a shot of an armchair with kisses on it

There is a constant soundtrack playing of a rhythmic beat with kiss noises overlaid on top. The sound levels are elevated with the announced of a new day on screen.

Reapplies lipstick, kisses armchair.

Wednesday 25th September 2002 appears on screen fades out

Reapplies lipstick, kisses window

The camera is handheld- steady shooting a variety of panning and zooming in/out shots throughout the video.

Next shot kisses floor, kneeling on ground right arm extended in front left arm behind.

Next shot Kisses mirror next to armchair Kisses wall next to mirror On a ladder kisses above the wall above the framed B&W photograph Camera pans all around the room and stops when it reaches her on the ladder now on the far right- she is kissing the wall.

Throughout the video we see in her in various positions in relation to space and camera, kneeling, back turned to the camera, standing, climbing, looking forward etc.

Thursday 26th September 2002…fades out

Next shot camera is located outside. She is by the window facing towards the camera. She is climbing up the ladder whilst reapplying her lipstick with her brush. Kissing window.

Next shot reapplying kissing ceiling

Next shot kissing vase Next shot kissing shoe Next shot one leg on the white chair kissing own right leg, kissing in an upward direction. One hand on chair, one hand on right leg Next shot, her standing, face camera, breathe heavy, intense look. Camera zooms in, same shot as first.

Fade to black

(Some changes through the video; a lamp appears on the dresser. White slippers on the floor)

11.50 am. I am sitting on the cold grey concrete floor; I place my denim jacket on the floor to keep my butt warm.

The music of the video plays above me. The video in front is a projection approx. 2 ½ metre by 2metres and approx. 65cm above the ground.

I was drawn to this video as I have been thinking and researching the mouth as sensory tool and also as Olivia has written “the mouth as a site for production.”

Maybe a few years ago. Maybe in a few years time -I will come back to this point

Many things get on my nerves about this work.

First of all the statement:

“Especially the female one (body) as source of emotion and special knowledge” what kind of dumb ass statement is that? And what kind of special knowledge is being shared in her female body I wonder? “In this performance Ekici reveals her passion and desires in the most straightforward and honest way possible thus entering into a new relationship with the viewer.” All they want to do is kiss and show love in a really honest way, really??

It strikes me as a rather naïve explanation; this quest for showing passion and desire is not so straightforward if you just think about her destruction of the room.

If I was her boyfriend or girlfriend and I came home from a busy day at work and I wanted to just chill on the bed, maybe eat a banana from the fruit basket- came home to this- the room filled with lipstick marks all over every surface of the room, and she came up to me and said “but honey I am just trying to show my passions and desires in a really honest and straightforward way.”

I WOULD NOT BE AMUSED

I am annoyed most of all because I think can do a way better job than her. I WILL DO IT BETTER. I wish I did it first; this is the mark of a good work I am told. When I look at this I CAN DO IT BETTER Video I can see my self in her place wearing the white slip lipstick, smeared over I CAN DO IT BIG My face kissing surfaces all over the place.

So what would be different? First of all, I would get rid of the soundtrack, is it really necessary, we can see she’s kissing stuff, why the kiss remix?

Second- why is everything white? Why does it look like a set? Like someone hired out an apartment, set it up to look like her pad, then invited her to kiss all over the place.

Why is she breathing really heavy and intense, is it really necessary? It’s got nothing to do with the kissing thing. Oh no, I think she is doing the performance artists “ performance”; serious, not acting, intense, calm, collected “I am the artist” it says.

Nevertheless sitting here on the cold floor for the past 1 ½ watching the video for the 15th time I start to like the breathing thing, I am used to it now- it marks the beginning and the end.

I start to like the sound

The ‘art’ whiteness of it all is also fine with me.

The video reminds me of when a few years ago, for no apparent reason I put red lipstick on my lips and nipples and was pressing myself against the wall to leave a mark on my white wall, in my room. This video would have been the next work I would have made in this series. Not now though.

There are some really beautiful movements in the video- I especially like the one where she has one hand in front, one behind and she is kneeling kissing the floor. I like this movement.

Marking her territory Destruction of the familiar The mouth as a sensory organ used to map out space Hand to pen to paper Lips to lipstick to wall Show of affection

I am a miserable, lonely little girl who wants to show her affection by kissing the walls, the floor, the tables, the cabinets, the mirrors and herself- wallow in her timid passivity- until the day comes when a man will come and sweep her off her feet. She will quit this art bullshit and show her affection the regular way. He will look after her and in return she will smother him with kisses. They will make a home together and furnish it with all the necessary furnishings and décor so one can call it a home. Till one day he will come home, tired from a busy day at work to find that I have kissed every surface in the house we call home; the walls, the floors, the cups, the spoons, my shoes, myself till everything is covered in red marks. He will grab me by the arm and say, “why have you done this? Tell me why?” and I will say, “I don’t know.”

“But Deniz goes harder ” (Dunbar, 2012)

I WILL DO IT BETTER

I WILL BREAK THIS SHIT

I WILL FUCK YOU UP

I WILL TEAR THIS PLACE DOWN

BURN EVERYTHING I HAVE USED TO GET ME HERE

“But Deniz goes harder ”

I WILL DO IT BETTER

I WILL BREAK THIS SHIT

I WILL FUCK YOU UP

I WILL TEAR THIS PLACE DOWN

AND BURN EVERYTHING I HAVE USED TO GET ME HERE

Tags:

Arrogance

Different voices

Role

Art

Mouth

Mouth as sensor

Mouth as maker

Femininity

Destruction

Threshold

Relation

Love

Desire

Aggression

Repetition

Everyday