Friday, December 6th, 1996 was the second evening of performances of Speak Easy, a text and language series at N.A.M.E. Gallery that I curated with Lorraine Moretti. The line up featured a selection of Chicago artists who use text and language as a prominent part of their performance practice, including Iris Moore, Matthew Goulish, Byron Stewart, Elizabeth Salvia, and Robert Wynkoop, PhD.
From the press release:
- Matthew Goulish, a member of Goat Island recently returned from a six month residency in the UK and will elcture about beginnings.
- Iris Moore, a veteran of the performance scene and recently published in Routledge’s book: Outlooks: Lesbian and Gay Sexualities in Visual Culture will perform the opening monologues from four performances including work from her new piece The Theory of Total.
- Byron S. Steward of A Real Read, Chicago’s premiere African-American LGBT performance ensemble and writer for the publication BlackLines, will present new work as well.
- Sound and performance artist, Elizabeth Salvia has been working primarily with text. She recently performed at In the Eye of Ear II festival and has had her tape based work broadcasted locally and abroad.
- Robert Wynkoop, Ph.D., who is known for channeling “light beings” of many types and from many galaxies will provide a demonstration of this esoteric art form. Channeling represents an alternative means of acquiring text which may be similar to the artist who receives inspiration from higher realms.
SPEAK EASY EVENTS:
- Friday, November 22nd, 1996 – Open Word Slip of The Tongue, an open mic + the opening of a comic book and zine reading room, featuring a murals by Jessica Abel, Carol Jackson, and Lisa Ormerod
- Friday December 6th, 1996 – Iris Moore, Matthew Goulish, Byron Stewart, Elizabeth Salvia, and Robert Wynkoop, PhD
- Saturday, December 7th, 1996 at 4PM – a performance poetry workshop with Byron Stewart
- Saturday, December 7th, 1996 – Doug Stapleton and Beth Tanner, Paul McComas, The Aluminum Group
- Saturday, December 13th, 1996 – Anna Brown, Pamella Miller, and Maureen Seaton