Sighle Bhreathnack-Cashell: Difference between revisions
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The Arena | The Arena | ||
Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell | Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell | ||
Project Proposal | Project Proposal | ||
Piet Zwart Institute, Master of Fine Arts | Piet Zwart Institute, Master of Fine Arts | ||
Core Tutors: Liesbeth Bik, Kate Briggs and Bernd Krauss | Core Tutors: Liesbeth Bik, Kate Briggs and Bernd Krauss | ||
November 2014 | November 2014 | ||
Man is a social animal: he collaborates with others to pursue his goals and satisfy his needs. It is well known that relations with others can be the source of the deepest satisfactions and of the blackest misery. | Man is a social animal: he collaborates with others to pursue his goals and satisfy his needs. It is well known that relations with others can be the source of the deepest satisfactions and of the blackest misery. | ||
(Argyle, M,1967) | (Argyle, M,1967) | ||
The word arena derives from the Latin 'harena'. Harena is the fine sand that filled the centre of the first arenas – whose key feature was the elevated tiered seating that completely surrounded the lowest point, the performance area. Harena is particularly good at absorbing blood. | The word arena derives from the Latin 'harena'. Harena is the fine sand that filled the centre of the first arenas – whose key feature was the elevated tiered seating that completely surrounded the lowest point, the performance area. Harena is particularly good at absorbing blood. | ||
I have, for some time, been concerned with human behaviour and the complexity of how it can be manipulated. For this project, I will specifically look at the effects of 'the group' on 'the individual' and the architectural spaces which are specifically built to house interactions between them. I will create a series of works using furniture, video, sound and lighting in existing domestic and institutional spaces and 'sets' I will build in my studio. I intend for these environments to be experienced alone, but they will suggest the presence of an absent group. Each will directly relate to a chapter in my thesis. | I have, for some time, been concerned with human behaviour and the complexity of how it can be manipulated. For this project, I will specifically look at the effects of 'the group' on 'the individual' and the architectural spaces which are specifically built to house interactions between them. I will create a series of works using furniture, video, sound and lighting in existing domestic and institutional spaces and 'sets' I will build in my studio. I intend for these environments to be experienced alone, but they will suggest the presence of an absent group. Each will directly relate to a chapter in my thesis. | ||
When we are with other people we are acutely aware of how we should behave and often give ourselves up to public roles. In The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life (1959) sociologist Erving Goffman gives a dramaturgical approach to common social behaviour. Goffman is of the opinion that to some extent we ‘manufacture our own persona’ and draws comparisons to the theatre and real life. He sees interaction as performance, constructed to provide others with impressions that the ‘actor’ wishes to give off, to attain a desired goal. This is shaped by the audience (being played to), the ‘team’ (who co-operates in the performance), and the environment they are in. Of course groups are made of individuals, and each individual will be acting out their own persona, and trying to discern what is true or false about what is being presented to them. This will be a key text in my thesis. Goffman (1959, p16) quotes a Victorian novel by William Sansom about a character named Preedy in order to demonstrate one performer's inner monologue. | When we are with other people we are acutely aware of how we should behave and often give ourselves up to public roles. In The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life (1959) sociologist Erving Goffman gives a dramaturgical approach to common social behaviour. Goffman is of the opinion that to some extent we ‘manufacture our own persona’ and draws comparisons to the theatre and real life. He sees interaction as performance, constructed to provide others with impressions that the ‘actor’ wishes to give off, to attain a desired goal. This is shaped by the audience (being played to), the ‘team’ (who co-operates in the performance), and the environment they are in. Of course groups are made of individuals, and each individual will be acting out their own persona, and trying to discern what is true or false about what is being presented to them. This will be a key text in my thesis. Goffman (1959, p16) quotes a Victorian novel by William Sansom about a character named Preedy in order to demonstrate one performer's inner monologue. | ||
But in any case he took care to avoid catching anyone's eye. First of all, he had to make it clear to those potential companions of his holiday that they were of no concern to him whatsoever. He stared through them, round them, over them – eyes lost in space. The beach might have been empty. If by chance a ball was thrown his way, he looked surprised; then let a smile of amusement lighten his face (Kindly Preedy), looked round dazed to see that there were people on the beach, tossed it back with a smile to himself and not a smile at the people, and then resumed carelessly his nonchalant survey of space. | |||
But it was time to institute a little parade, the parade of the Ideal Preedy. By devious handlings he gave any who wanted to look a chance to see the title of his book – a Spanish translation of Homer, classic thus, but not daring, cosmopolitan too – and then gathered together his beach-wrap and bag into a neat sand resistant pile (Methodical and Sensible Preedy), rose slowly to stretch at ease his huge frame (Big Cat Preedy), and tossed aside his sandals (Carefree Preedy, after all) | But in any case he took care to avoid catching anyone's eye. First of all, he had to make it clear to those potential companions of his holiday that they were of no concern to him whatsoever. He stared through them, round them, over them – eyes lost in space. The beach might have been empty. If by chance a ball was thrown his way, he looked surprised; then let a smile of amusement lighten his face (Kindly Preedy), looked round dazed to see that there were people on the beach, tossed it back with a smile to himself and not a smile at the people, and then resumed carelessly his nonchalant survey of space.But it was time to institute a little parade, the parade of the Ideal Preedy. By devious handlings he gave any who wanted to look a chance to see the title of his book – a Spanish translation of Homer, classic thus, but not daring, cosmopolitan too – and then gathered together his beach-wrap and bag into a neat sand resistant pile (Methodical and Sensible Preedy), rose slowly to stretch at ease his huge frame (Big Cat Preedy), and tossed aside his sandals (Carefree Preedy, after all) | ||
This is a very deliberate and cynical performance, and may have been picked up on as so by onlookers. | This is a very deliberate and cynical performance, and may have been picked up on as so by onlookers. | ||
I am interested in this tension between deception and fear of discovery. Of being unpleasantly aware of yourself in the presence of others. John Berger in Ways of Seeing (1972) famously says | I am interested in this tension between deception and fear of discovery. Of being unpleasantly aware of yourself in the presence of others. John Berger in Ways of Seeing (1972) famously says | ||
To be born a woman has to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men. The social presence of women is developed as a result of their ingenuity in living under such tutelage within such a limited space. But this has been at the cost of a woman's self being split into two. A woman must continually watch herself. She is almost continually accompanied by her own image of herself. | To be born a woman has to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men. The social presence of women is developed as a result of their ingenuity in living under such tutelage within such a limited space. But this has been at the cost of a woman's self being split into two. A woman must continually watch herself. She is almost continually accompanied by her own image of herself. | ||
It is this idea of self image (and I would not see this as solely an issue for women) that I want to look at. How our image of ourselves is always an image for the group, controlled by the group, negotiated in relation to the group, and in some way produced by the group. This brings up issues of shame and secrecy also. That which is hidden to conform or be accepted in both physical appearance and actions. | It is this idea of self image (and I would not see this as solely an issue for women) that I want to look at. How our image of ourselves is always an image for the group, controlled by the group, negotiated in relation to the group, and in some way produced by the group. This brings up issues of shame and secrecy also. That which is hidden to conform or be accepted in both physical appearance and actions. | ||
I plan to create spaces to examine these ideas further. I view the built environment as a manufactured stage where we perform of our daily lives. Architectural spaces can both reflect and influence human interactions, and are often imposed on us, generally we only have control over our personal domestic environment. In Camouflage (2006) architect Neil Leach (with reference to Lacan, Simmel and Benjamin) analyses the desire to feel connected to our surroundings and its consequences for architectural concerns. I will look at this philosophical approach alongside more practical works by David Canter Psychology for Architects (1974) and Bryan Lawson The Language of Space (2001). | I plan to create spaces to examine these ideas further. I view the built environment as a manufactured stage where we perform of our daily lives. Architectural spaces can both reflect and influence human interactions, and are often imposed on us, generally we only have control over our personal domestic environment. In Camouflage (2006) architect Neil Leach (with reference to Lacan, Simmel and Benjamin) analyses the desire to feel connected to our surroundings and its consequences for architectural concerns. I will look at this philosophical approach alongside more practical works by David Canter Psychology for Architects (1974) and Bryan Lawson The Language of Space (2001). | ||
In previous works I have looked at group dynamics by creating specific settings and contexts for interaction. In DINNER466ShoreRoad I held a dinner party in a room intended to heighten social awkwardness: | In previous works I have looked at group dynamics by creating specific settings and contexts for interaction. In DINNER466ShoreRoad I held a dinner party in a room intended to heighten social awkwardness: | ||
Communication with the people on the other side of the room is difficult, even talking to your neighbour costs quite an effort. At first no one dares to talk in a raised voice or to laugh, no real conversation seems to be possible in all this blackness, every bite and every word are hard work. I would like to vomit, to smoke a cigarette, to leave the room. But maybe this would destroy or put an abrupt end to the dinner, the whole piece of art. | Communication with the people on the other side of the room is difficult, even talking to your neighbour costs quite an effort. At first no one dares to talk in a raised voice or to laugh, no real conversation seems to be possible in all this blackness, every bite and every word are hard work. I would like to vomit, to smoke a cigarette, to leave the room. But maybe this would destroy or put an abrupt end to the dinner, the whole piece of art. | ||
(Roloff, M (2008)'DINNER') | (Roloff, M (2008)'DINNER') | ||
In GAME SHOW we divided the audience and then encouraged them to get drunk and take part in a theatrical competition. The setting resembled a television studio without cameras (see fig 1&2). | In GAME SHOW we divided the audience and then encouraged them to get drunk and take part in a theatrical competition. The setting resembled a television studio without cameras (see fig 1&2). | ||
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These works produced strong reactions and presented ethical issues which I have struggled with. Anna McCarthy (2009), in her essay 'Stanley Milgram, Allen Funt, and Me', draws comparisons to post-war psychological experiments and the emergence of reality television. She discusses the common threads of cruelty, deception and theatricality and the pedagogical justifications for this. I want to research this area in more depth and also look at it in relation to contemporary participatory art practices through texts such as Maggie Nelson's The Art of Cruelty (2011)and Claire Bishop's Artificial Hells (2012). | These works produced strong reactions and presented ethical issues which I have struggled with. Anna McCarthy (2009), in her essay 'Stanley Milgram, Allen Funt, and Me', draws comparisons to post-war psychological experiments and the emergence of reality television. She discusses the common threads of cruelty, deception and theatricality and the pedagogical justifications for this. I want to research this area in more depth and also look at it in relation to contemporary participatory art practices through texts such as Maggie Nelson's The Art of Cruelty (2011)and Claire Bishop's Artificial Hells (2012). | ||
In a recent residency in a hotel in Amsterdam I removed people and myself from my materials list. I created a series of 'SCENARIOS' using diagram instructions and chairs. They hinted at a social interaction which the viewer was excluded from (see fig 3&4). | In a recent residency in a hotel in Amsterdam I removed people and myself from my materials list. I created a series of 'SCENARIOS' using diagram instructions and chairs. They hinted at a social interaction which the viewer was excluded from (see fig 3&4). | ||
Now I want to focus on private encounters for individuals, which would take place in (empty) spaces built for public audiences and on-stage performers (such as circus tents, lecture theatres, churches and cinemas). This is to investigate the idea of alienation and the effect the crowd has on the individual when they are alone. A phantom crowd that remains present in the mind of the individual and continues to direct behaviour even when physically absent. | Now I want to focus on private encounters for individuals, which would take place in (empty) spaces built for public audiences and on-stage performers (such as circus tents, lecture theatres, churches and cinemas). This is to investigate the idea of alienation and the effect the crowd has on the individual when they are alone. A phantom crowd that remains present in the mind of the individual and continues to direct behaviour even when physically absent. | ||
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Recently I have been visiting various spaces like churches, the circus, the zoo and cinemas to secretly film and absorb the design features (see fig 5&6). I would now like to try and negotiate access to these spaces as potential sites for art works, either filming or creating something there. | Recently I have been visiting various spaces like churches, the circus, the zoo and cinemas to secretly film and absorb the design features (see fig 5&6). I would now like to try and negotiate access to these spaces as potential sites for art works, either filming or creating something there. | ||
The working titles for potential artworks and thesis chapters are: | The working titles for potential artworks and thesis chapters are: | ||
Me and the Mob – group dynamics, groups effect on individual, individuals effect on group | Me and the Mob – group dynamics, groups effect on individual, individuals effect on group | ||
Arena Tour – the Colosseum, the circus, dance marathons, candid camera, scripted reality | Arena Tour – the Colosseum, the circus, dance marathons, candid camera, scripted reality | ||
Blurred Vision – the drunk, increased confidence, karaoke, impaired view of self | Blurred Vision – the drunk, increased confidence, karaoke, impaired view of self | ||
Lifting the Veil – behind the scenes, realisation, disillusionment | Lifting the Veil – behind the scenes, realisation, disillusionment | ||
Hermitage – solitary spaces, necessity for privacy, resisting pull of the group | Hermitage – solitary spaces, necessity for privacy, resisting pull of the group | ||
Backstage – preparation areas for performance, self esteem, ambitions | Backstage – preparation areas for performance, self esteem, ambitions | ||
Mirrored – mediated imagery, the self through the eyes of others, deja vu, cinema and the internet | Mirrored – mediated imagery, the self through the eyes of others, deja vu, cinema and the internet | ||
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I will finish this proposal with some more Goffman: | I will finish this proposal with some more Goffman: | ||
When we closely observe what goes on in a social role, a spate of sociable interaction, a social establishment – or in any other unit of social organization – embracement of the unit is not all that we see. We always find the individual employing methods to keep some distance, some elbow room, between himself and that with which others assume he should be identified. Our sense of being a person can come from being drawn into a wider social unit; our sense of selfhood can arise through the little ways in which we resist the pull. Our status is backed by the solid buildings of the world, while our sense of personal identity often resides in the cracks. | When we closely observe what goes on in a social role, a spate of sociable interaction, a social establishment – or in any other unit of social organization – embracement of the unit is not all that we see. We always find the individual employing methods to keep some distance, some elbow room, between himself and that with which others assume he should be identified. Our sense of being a person can come from being drawn into a wider social unit; our sense of selfhood can arise through the little ways in which we resist the pull. Our status is backed by the solid buildings of the world, while our sense of personal identity often resides in the cracks. | ||
(quoted in Schwartz, 1968,p 752) | (quoted in Schwartz, 1968,p 752) | ||
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List of references | List of references | ||
Argyle, M (1967) The Psychology of Interpersonal Behaviour, Pelican Books | Argyle, M (1967) The Psychology of Interpersonal Behaviour, Pelican Books | ||
Berger, J (1972) Ways of Seeing, Penguin Modern Classics | Berger, J (1972) Ways of Seeing, Penguin Modern Classics | ||
Goffman, E (1959) The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life, Penguin Books | Goffman, E (1959) The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life, Penguin Books | ||
McCarthy, A (2009) '”Stanley Milgram, Allen Funt and Me”: Postwar Social Science and the “First Wave” of Reality TV' in Reality TV Remaking Television Culture, 2nd edition, (pp. 23-43) | McCarthy, A (2009) '”Stanley Milgram, Allen Funt and Me”: Postwar Social Science and the “First Wave” of Reality TV' in Reality TV Remaking Television Culture, 2nd edition, (pp. 23-43) | ||
Roloff, M (2008) 'DINNER'(translated from German), published online, URL unknown | Roloff, M (2008) 'DINNER'(translated from German), published online, URL unknown | ||
Schwartz, B (1968) ‘Privacy' in The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 73, No. 6, (pp.741-752) | Schwartz, B (1968) ‘Privacy' in The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 73, No. 6, (pp.741-752) | ||
Illustrations | Illustrations | ||
Fig 1&2 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, Richard Martin and George Thompson, GAME SHOW, 2012. Documentation of event at GAMES NIGHT, The Glue Factory, Glasgow. Image by Dave Mc Aleavy. | Fig 1&2 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, Richard Martin and George Thompson, GAME SHOW, 2012. Documentation of event at GAMES NIGHT, The Glue Factory, Glasgow. Image by Dave Mc Aleavy. | ||
Fig 3& 4 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, SCENARIOS, 2014. Instructional diagram (A0 paper) and documentation of installation at The Volkshotel, Amsterdam. Second image by Raymond Van Mil. | Fig 3& 4 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, SCENARIOS, 2014. Instructional diagram (A0 paper) and documentation of installation at The Volkshotel, Amsterdam. Second image by Raymond Van Mil. | ||
Fig 5& 6 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, Circus Series, ongoing research, 2014. | Fig 5& 6 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, Circus Series, ongoing research, 2014. | ||
Bibliography | Bibliography | ||
Books and Essays | Books and Essays | ||
Bachelard, G (1969) Poetics of Space, Beacon Press | Bachelard, G (1969) Poetics of Space, Beacon Press | ||
Barthes, R (1977-8, trans. 2012) How to Live Together, Columbia University Press | Barthes, R (1977-8, trans. 2012) How to Live Together, Columbia University Press | ||
Bishop, C (2012) Artificial Hells, Verso | Bishop, C (2012) Artificial Hells, Verso | ||
Canter, D (1974) Psychology for Architects, Applied Science Publishers Ltd | Canter, D (1974) Psychology for Architects, Applied Science Publishers Ltd | ||
De Botton, A (2006) The Architecture of Happiness, Hamish Hamilton | De Botton, A (2006) The Architecture of Happiness, Hamish Hamilton | ||
Goffman, E (1959) The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life, Penguin Books, (1963) Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Penguin Books, (1963)Behaviour in Public Places Behaviour in Public Places, The Free Press | Goffman, E (1959) The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life, Penguin Books, (1963) Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Penguin Books, (1963)Behaviour in Public Places Behaviour in Public Places, The Free Press | ||
Hall, E. T (1966) The Hidden Dimension, Bodley Head | Hall, E. T (1966) The Hidden Dimension, Bodley Head | ||
Kierkegaard, S (1859) ‘The Crowd is “Untruth”’ | Kierkegaard, S (1859) ‘The Crowd is “Untruth”’ | ||
Lawson, B (2001) The Language of Space, Architectural Press | Lawson, B (2001) The Language of Space, Architectural Press | ||
Leach, N (1997) Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory, Psychology Press, (1999) The Anaesthetics of Architecture, The MIT Press, (2006) Camouflage, The MIT Press | Leach, N (1997) Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory, Psychology Press, (1999) The Anaesthetics of Architecture, The MIT Press, (2006) Camouflage, The MIT Press | ||
Martin, C (1994) Dance Marathons: Performing American Culture in the 1920s and 1930s, University Press of Mississippi | Martin, C (1994) Dance Marathons: Performing American Culture in the 1920s and 1930s, University Press of Mississippi | ||
Meyers-Levy, J (2007) 'The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing That People Use, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 34, No.2, (pp.174-186) | Meyers-Levy, J (2007) 'The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing That People Use, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 34, No.2, (pp.174-186) | ||
Morgan, J and Wood, C (2007) The World as a Stage, Tate Publishing | Morgan, J and Wood, C (2007) The World as a Stage, Tate Publishing | ||
Murray, S and Ouellette, L (ed.) (2009) Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture, New York University Press | Murray, S and Ouellette, L (ed.) (2009) Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture, New York University Press | ||
Nelson, M (2012) The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning, W.W Norton & Company | Nelson, M (2012) The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning, W.W Norton & Company | ||
Pallasmaa, J (1996) The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses, John Wiley & Sons Ltd | Pallasmaa, J (1996) The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses, John Wiley & Sons Ltd | ||
Perec, G (2012) Species of Spaces and Other Pieces, Hawker Publications Limited | Perec, G (2012) Species of Spaces and Other Pieces, Hawker Publications Limited | ||
Schwartz, B (1968) ‘Privacy' in The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 73, No. 6, (pp.741-752) | Schwartz, B (1968) ‘Privacy' in The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 73, No. 6, (pp.741-752) | ||
Fiction | Fiction | ||
Fallada, H (1950) The Drinker, Melville House Publishing | Fallada, H (1950) The Drinker, Melville House Publishing | ||
Kafka, F (1926) The Castle, Oxford's World Classics | Kafka, F (1926) The Castle, Oxford's World Classics | ||
Poe, E.A (1840)The Man of the Crowd, The Masque of the Red Death, The Fall of the House of Usher | Poe, E.A (1840)The Man of the Crowd, The Masque of the Red Death, The Fall of the House of Usher | ||
Satre, J.P (1947) No Exit, Vintage International Edition | Satre, J.P (1947) No Exit, Vintage International Edition | ||
Artworks | Artworks | ||
Eatough, G, Fagan, G and McDonough, M, 'The Making of Us', Glasgow International, Tramway, 2012 | Eatough, G, Fagan, G and McDonough, M, 'The Making of Us', Glasgow International, Tramway, 2012 | ||
Schneider, G, 'Die Familie Schneider', Art Angel, 14-16 Walden Street, 2004 | Schneider, G, 'Die Familie Schneider', Art Angel, 14-16 Walden Street, 2004 | ||
Smith, M, 'Videos and Miscellaneous Stuff from Storage (Pt.2), Glasgow International, Tramway, 2014 | Smith, M, 'Videos and Miscellaneous Stuff from Storage (Pt.2), Glasgow International, Tramway, 2014 | ||
Theatre | Theatre | ||
Ionesco, E (1952) The Chairs | Ionesco, E (1952) The Chairs | ||
Film | Film | ||
Dubin, C (1976) The Tenth Level | Dubin, C (1976) The Tenth Level | ||
Hirschbiegel, O (2001) The Experiment | Hirschbiegel, O (2001) The Experiment | ||
Kaufman, C (2008) Synecdoche New York | Kaufman, C (2008) Synecdoche New York | ||
Lynch, D (2006) Inland Empire | Lynch, D (2006) Inland Empire | ||
Timoner, O (2009) We Live in Public | Timoner, O (2009) We Live in Public | ||
Television | Television | ||
Armstrong, J and Bain, S (2003) Peep Show, C4 | Armstrong, J and Bain, S (2003) Peep Show, C4 | ||
Brooker, C (2011) Black Mirror, C4 | Brooker, C (2011) Black Mirror, C4 | ||
Cowell, S (2004)The X Factor, ITV | Cowell, S (2004)The X Factor, ITV | ||
Curtis, A (2002) The Century of the Self, BBC | Curtis, A (2002) The Century of the Self, BBC | ||
David, L (2000) Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO | David, L (2000) Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO | ||
De Mol, J (1997) Big Brother, C4 | De Mol, J (1997) Big Brother, C4 | ||
Tsuchiya, T (1998) Susunu! Denpa Shōnen, Nihon TV | Tsuchiya, T (1998) Susunu! Denpa Shōnen, Nihon TV | ||
Latest revision as of 17:05, 10 November 2014
The Arena
Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell
Project Proposal
Piet Zwart Institute, Master of Fine Arts
Core Tutors: Liesbeth Bik, Kate Briggs and Bernd Krauss
November 2014
Man is a social animal: he collaborates with others to pursue his goals and satisfy his needs. It is well known that relations with others can be the source of the deepest satisfactions and of the blackest misery. (Argyle, M,1967)
The word arena derives from the Latin 'harena'. Harena is the fine sand that filled the centre of the first arenas – whose key feature was the elevated tiered seating that completely surrounded the lowest point, the performance area. Harena is particularly good at absorbing blood.
I have, for some time, been concerned with human behaviour and the complexity of how it can be manipulated. For this project, I will specifically look at the effects of 'the group' on 'the individual' and the architectural spaces which are specifically built to house interactions between them. I will create a series of works using furniture, video, sound and lighting in existing domestic and institutional spaces and 'sets' I will build in my studio. I intend for these environments to be experienced alone, but they will suggest the presence of an absent group. Each will directly relate to a chapter in my thesis.
When we are with other people we are acutely aware of how we should behave and often give ourselves up to public roles. In The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life (1959) sociologist Erving Goffman gives a dramaturgical approach to common social behaviour. Goffman is of the opinion that to some extent we ‘manufacture our own persona’ and draws comparisons to the theatre and real life. He sees interaction as performance, constructed to provide others with impressions that the ‘actor’ wishes to give off, to attain a desired goal. This is shaped by the audience (being played to), the ‘team’ (who co-operates in the performance), and the environment they are in. Of course groups are made of individuals, and each individual will be acting out their own persona, and trying to discern what is true or false about what is being presented to them. This will be a key text in my thesis. Goffman (1959, p16) quotes a Victorian novel by William Sansom about a character named Preedy in order to demonstrate one performer's inner monologue.
But in any case he took care to avoid catching anyone's eye. First of all, he had to make it clear to those potential companions of his holiday that they were of no concern to him whatsoever. He stared through them, round them, over them – eyes lost in space. The beach might have been empty. If by chance a ball was thrown his way, he looked surprised; then let a smile of amusement lighten his face (Kindly Preedy), looked round dazed to see that there were people on the beach, tossed it back with a smile to himself and not a smile at the people, and then resumed carelessly his nonchalant survey of space.But it was time to institute a little parade, the parade of the Ideal Preedy. By devious handlings he gave any who wanted to look a chance to see the title of his book – a Spanish translation of Homer, classic thus, but not daring, cosmopolitan too – and then gathered together his beach-wrap and bag into a neat sand resistant pile (Methodical and Sensible Preedy), rose slowly to stretch at ease his huge frame (Big Cat Preedy), and tossed aside his sandals (Carefree Preedy, after all)
This is a very deliberate and cynical performance, and may have been picked up on as so by onlookers.
I am interested in this tension between deception and fear of discovery. Of being unpleasantly aware of yourself in the presence of others. John Berger in Ways of Seeing (1972) famously says
To be born a woman has to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men. The social presence of women is developed as a result of their ingenuity in living under such tutelage within such a limited space. But this has been at the cost of a woman's self being split into two. A woman must continually watch herself. She is almost continually accompanied by her own image of herself.
It is this idea of self image (and I would not see this as solely an issue for women) that I want to look at. How our image of ourselves is always an image for the group, controlled by the group, negotiated in relation to the group, and in some way produced by the group. This brings up issues of shame and secrecy also. That which is hidden to conform or be accepted in both physical appearance and actions.
I plan to create spaces to examine these ideas further. I view the built environment as a manufactured stage where we perform of our daily lives. Architectural spaces can both reflect and influence human interactions, and are often imposed on us, generally we only have control over our personal domestic environment. In Camouflage (2006) architect Neil Leach (with reference to Lacan, Simmel and Benjamin) analyses the desire to feel connected to our surroundings and its consequences for architectural concerns. I will look at this philosophical approach alongside more practical works by David Canter Psychology for Architects (1974) and Bryan Lawson The Language of Space (2001).
In previous works I have looked at group dynamics by creating specific settings and contexts for interaction. In DINNER466ShoreRoad I held a dinner party in a room intended to heighten social awkwardness:
Communication with the people on the other side of the room is difficult, even talking to your neighbour costs quite an effort. At first no one dares to talk in a raised voice or to laugh, no real conversation seems to be possible in all this blackness, every bite and every word are hard work. I would like to vomit, to smoke a cigarette, to leave the room. But maybe this would destroy or put an abrupt end to the dinner, the whole piece of art.
(Roloff, M (2008)'DINNER')
In GAME SHOW we divided the audience and then encouraged them to get drunk and take part in a theatrical competition. The setting resembled a television studio without cameras (see fig 1&2).
These works produced strong reactions and presented ethical issues which I have struggled with. Anna McCarthy (2009), in her essay 'Stanley Milgram, Allen Funt, and Me', draws comparisons to post-war psychological experiments and the emergence of reality television. She discusses the common threads of cruelty, deception and theatricality and the pedagogical justifications for this. I want to research this area in more depth and also look at it in relation to contemporary participatory art practices through texts such as Maggie Nelson's The Art of Cruelty (2011)and Claire Bishop's Artificial Hells (2012).
In a recent residency in a hotel in Amsterdam I removed people and myself from my materials list. I created a series of 'SCENARIOS' using diagram instructions and chairs. They hinted at a social interaction which the viewer was excluded from (see fig 3&4).
Now I want to focus on private encounters for individuals, which would take place in (empty) spaces built for public audiences and on-stage performers (such as circus tents, lecture theatres, churches and cinemas). This is to investigate the idea of alienation and the effect the crowd has on the individual when they are alone. A phantom crowd that remains present in the mind of the individual and continues to direct behaviour even when physically absent.
Recently I have been visiting various spaces like churches, the circus, the zoo and cinemas to secretly film and absorb the design features (see fig 5&6). I would now like to try and negotiate access to these spaces as potential sites for art works, either filming or creating something there.
The working titles for potential artworks and thesis chapters are:
Me and the Mob – group dynamics, groups effect on individual, individuals effect on group
Arena Tour – the Colosseum, the circus, dance marathons, candid camera, scripted reality
Blurred Vision – the drunk, increased confidence, karaoke, impaired view of self
Lifting the Veil – behind the scenes, realisation, disillusionment
Hermitage – solitary spaces, necessity for privacy, resisting pull of the group
Backstage – preparation areas for performance, self esteem, ambitions
Mirrored – mediated imagery, the self through the eyes of others, deja vu, cinema and the internet
I plan to further research these ideas simultaneously via lived experiences, reading texts, watching television and producing artworks.
I will finish this proposal with some more Goffman:
When we closely observe what goes on in a social role, a spate of sociable interaction, a social establishment – or in any other unit of social organization – embracement of the unit is not all that we see. We always find the individual employing methods to keep some distance, some elbow room, between himself and that with which others assume he should be identified. Our sense of being a person can come from being drawn into a wider social unit; our sense of selfhood can arise through the little ways in which we resist the pull. Our status is backed by the solid buildings of the world, while our sense of personal identity often resides in the cracks.
(quoted in Schwartz, 1968,p 752)
List of references
Argyle, M (1967) The Psychology of Interpersonal Behaviour, Pelican Books
Berger, J (1972) Ways of Seeing, Penguin Modern Classics
Goffman, E (1959) The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life, Penguin Books
McCarthy, A (2009) '”Stanley Milgram, Allen Funt and Me”: Postwar Social Science and the “First Wave” of Reality TV' in Reality TV Remaking Television Culture, 2nd edition, (pp. 23-43)
Roloff, M (2008) 'DINNER'(translated from German), published online, URL unknown
Schwartz, B (1968) ‘Privacy' in The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 73, No. 6, (pp.741-752)
Illustrations
Fig 1&2 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, Richard Martin and George Thompson, GAME SHOW, 2012. Documentation of event at GAMES NIGHT, The Glue Factory, Glasgow. Image by Dave Mc Aleavy.
Fig 3& 4 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, SCENARIOS, 2014. Instructional diagram (A0 paper) and documentation of installation at The Volkshotel, Amsterdam. Second image by Raymond Van Mil.
Fig 5& 6 Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell, Circus Series, ongoing research, 2014.
Bibliography
Books and Essays
Bachelard, G (1969) Poetics of Space, Beacon Press
Barthes, R (1977-8, trans. 2012) How to Live Together, Columbia University Press
Bishop, C (2012) Artificial Hells, Verso
Canter, D (1974) Psychology for Architects, Applied Science Publishers Ltd
De Botton, A (2006) The Architecture of Happiness, Hamish Hamilton
Goffman, E (1959) The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life, Penguin Books, (1963) Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity, Penguin Books, (1963)Behaviour in Public Places Behaviour in Public Places, The Free Press
Hall, E. T (1966) The Hidden Dimension, Bodley Head
Kierkegaard, S (1859) ‘The Crowd is “Untruth”’
Lawson, B (2001) The Language of Space, Architectural Press
Leach, N (1997) Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory, Psychology Press, (1999) The Anaesthetics of Architecture, The MIT Press, (2006) Camouflage, The MIT Press
Martin, C (1994) Dance Marathons: Performing American Culture in the 1920s and 1930s, University Press of Mississippi
Meyers-Levy, J (2007) 'The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing That People Use, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 34, No.2, (pp.174-186)
Morgan, J and Wood, C (2007) The World as a Stage, Tate Publishing
Murray, S and Ouellette, L (ed.) (2009) Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture, New York University Press
Nelson, M (2012) The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning, W.W Norton & Company
Pallasmaa, J (1996) The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses, John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Perec, G (2012) Species of Spaces and Other Pieces, Hawker Publications Limited
Schwartz, B (1968) ‘Privacy' in The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 73, No. 6, (pp.741-752)
Fiction
Fallada, H (1950) The Drinker, Melville House Publishing
Kafka, F (1926) The Castle, Oxford's World Classics
Poe, E.A (1840)The Man of the Crowd, The Masque of the Red Death, The Fall of the House of Usher
Satre, J.P (1947) No Exit, Vintage International Edition
Artworks
Eatough, G, Fagan, G and McDonough, M, 'The Making of Us', Glasgow International, Tramway, 2012
Schneider, G, 'Die Familie Schneider', Art Angel, 14-16 Walden Street, 2004
Smith, M, 'Videos and Miscellaneous Stuff from Storage (Pt.2), Glasgow International, Tramway, 2014
Theatre
Ionesco, E (1952) The Chairs
Film
Dubin, C (1976) The Tenth Level
Hirschbiegel, O (2001) The Experiment
Kaufman, C (2008) Synecdoche New York
Lynch, D (2006) Inland Empire
Timoner, O (2009) We Live in Public
Television
Armstrong, J and Bain, S (2003) Peep Show, C4
Brooker, C (2011) Black Mirror, C4
Cowell, S (2004)The X Factor, ITV
Curtis, A (2002) The Century of the Self, BBC
David, L (2000) Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO
De Mol, J (1997) Big Brother, C4
Tsuchiya, T (1998) Susunu! Denpa Shōnen, Nihon TV
To get:
Perform or Else, Jon McKenzie (steve has pdf)
Reality TV: The Work of Being Watched Andreovitz
'Archive and Aspiration' by Arjun Appadurai
'Governmentality, Biopower, and Everyday Life' by Majia Holmer Nadesan
Governing the Soul - Nikolas Rose
The Man Who shocked the World - T. Blass (Biography of Milgram)
Opening Skinner's Box - Lauren Slater
'Junkspace' and 'S/M/L/XL' - Rem Coohaus