Tehila Zigman and Ram Samocha: e-mail interview, 2010
Is there a difference between drawings created through the performance art process and those created in the studio?
The way I see it, the underlying energy is the same. However, since the process of creation is briefer in the context of performance art than work made in the studio, the resulting artwork also differs. The encounter with a live audience raises expectations on both ends and sometimes influences or guides the drawing in a new direction.
Is the process or activity itself the purpose of the performance, and the artwork merely a byproduct? Or is the creation of the drawing the purpose of the performance?
That depends on the piece, but usually both elements are intertwined and taken into consideration before the performative process begins. The physical process of line-making is an important part of my research, but it is not the aim of focus of the artwork; each line is laid down with purpose to create a consciously predetermined image.
What is the role of the audience’s in your performances? Do you consider your process to be performative even when you are working alone?
I always consider my process to be perfomative. When I lack a live audience, I consider the video camera to be a substitute. However, having an audience alters the atmosphere and experience—the resulting artwork is inevitably different as well. For example, sometimes the audience takes part in the creation or interacts and that creates a product completely different from a solitary performance in front of a camera lens.
Do you use props that are created or constructed especially for the performance?
Is there a difference between drawings created through the performance art process and those created in the studio?
The way I see it, the underlying energy is the same. However, since the process of creation is briefer in the context of performance art than work made in the studio, the resulting artwork also differs. The encounter with a live audience raises expectations on both ends and sometimes influences or guides the drawing in a new direction.
Is the process or activity itself the purpose of the performance, and the artwork merely a byproduct? Or is the creation of the drawing the purpose of the performance?
That depends on the piece, but usually both elements are intertwined and taken into consideration before the performative process begins. The physical process of line-making is an important part of my research, but it is not the aim of focus of the artwork; each line is laid down with purpose to create a consciously predetermined image.
What is the role of the audience’s in your performances? Do you consider your process to be performative even when you are working alone?
I always consider my process to be perfomative. When I lack a live audience, I consider the video camera to be a substitute. However, having an audience alters the atmosphere and experience—the resulting artwork is inevitably different as well. For example, sometimes the audience takes part in the creation or interacts and that creates a product completely different from a solitary performance in front of a camera lens.
Do you use props that are created or constructed especially for the performance?
Usually I try to explore the extent of what my body alone enables me to do. However, sometimes I use additional equipment. Regardless of what I choose to do, there is always a connection to the body and to its capabilities and limitations. Sometimes I use a ladder, a large chalk or a long paintbrush. Other times I consciously explore the reach of my body. For example, I have purposely hung the canvas higher than usual so that I had to strain to reach it to see how that affected the work.
Does the planning involved in performance art impact the creation of the drawing? Do you limit the duration of the performative process?
Yes, planning the performance has significant impact on my creative process. Though randomness is an element in my work, it does not play a crucial role. The length of the performance varies with each piece. I’ve done performances that lasted 30 minutes, while others lasted an entire day if not several days. I do always plan the duration in advance.
How does the idea and phsyciality of the body impact your work? What intrigues you about the presence of the body in your creative process?
I was always intrigued by how the artist decides to leave or to design his marks. By working with the body I explore myself, my capabilities and the time that passes as I create. The element of time goes hand in hand with physical movement and the body in my creations. Initially I looked for ways to capture and retain the figure in the final work, but I gradually realized that what mattered most to me was how the physicality hints at a corporeal presence: first, because it actively enhances the connection with the viewer; and second, because my body becomes the essence of the creation—the drawing is linked to my body through the immediacy of creation. The sketch and the body become one.
Does the planning involved in performance art impact the creation of the drawing? Do you limit the duration of the performative process?
Yes, planning the performance has significant impact on my creative process. Though randomness is an element in my work, it does not play a crucial role. The length of the performance varies with each piece. I’ve done performances that lasted 30 minutes, while others lasted an entire day if not several days. I do always plan the duration in advance.
How does the idea and phsyciality of the body impact your work? What intrigues you about the presence of the body in your creative process?
I was always intrigued by how the artist decides to leave or to design his marks. By working with the body I explore myself, my capabilities and the time that passes as I create. The element of time goes hand in hand with physical movement and the body in my creations. Initially I looked for ways to capture and retain the figure in the final work, but I gradually realized that what mattered most to me was how the physicality hints at a corporeal presence: first, because it actively enhances the connection with the viewer; and second, because my body becomes the essence of the creation—the drawing is linked to my body through the immediacy of creation. The sketch and the body become one.
How does the process of filming and documentation take place? Can performance art exist without documentation?
Generally, performance art can exist without filming, but then it is captured solely by the people who actually saw it take place. Filming allows performance art to be transported into a different place or, more accurately, to a different medium. The filming process is separate from the performance itself—the documentation becomes an independent work of art that can also be used as a tool. I either film myself or let a videographer film me. Even when the performance includes an audience, I always insist on filmed documentation. In one of my recent works I chose to film the creation, destruction and then recreation of an exhibit and then I showed the documentation next to its final product, which exposed something entirely different than I could have created through the documentation process or mere recollection alone.
