Lonesome Geography
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Descr.
Lonesome Geography is a visceral publication governed by sense data as opposed to factual data. Structurally the publication is split into four chapters, organized by location. Each chapter explores the relationships between place, emotion, and memory. I chose to examine Oregon, Washington, California, and Colorado as they each relate to my life.
Performance
The publication is accompanied by a performance that communicates a fundamental hollowness from the California chapter. I found a secluded area in the Colorado Desert and dug a hole for as long as I could psychologically bear the absurdity of the endeavor. I became paranoid and fled about two hours in. The piece takes sentimental cues from the the early 1900’s American folk song “I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground.” Perhaps the driving force of the performance can be understood through Greil Marcus’ description of the American folk song:
“Now what the singer wants is obvious, and almost impossible to comprehend. He wants to be delivered from his life and to be changed into a creature insignificant and despised. He wants to see nothing and to be seen by no-one. He wants to destroy the world and to survive it. That’s all he wants. The performance is quiet, steady, and the quiet lets you in … You can imagine what it would be like to want what the singer wants. It is an almost impossible negation, at the edge of pure nihilism, a demand to prove that the world is nothing, a demand to be next to nothing and yet it is comforting.”
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