Hannes Lárusson’s performance The Holyman’s Mask of Hotstuffmans, 1982, at the Living Art Museum in Reykjavík. It is composed of a white cloth stretched across the museum, with Hannes encased in a red cloth bag suspended in the air. Hannes would shout out words from within the cocoon, after which an assistant would shout out a rhyming word, and write it in green pen. This bizarre dialogue so begins to resemble the god/prophet relationship, and of the nature of language, how easily it warps. Hannes as well discusses the basic creative element and the act of viewing art by assigning the ‘god’ role to a red figure, and the ‘prophet’ role - which transforms and makes physical the language spouted by the ‘god’ - to green language, complementary colours. So this conversion from the spoken to the very different written words is brought forth as well like the effect produced by complementary colours, reflecting on Hannes’ focus on discussing colour theory as being a key part of appreciating art. From the catalogue of Hannes’ retrospective exhibition Hús í Hús.
1 year ago on August 03, 2011 at 09:25pm
