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Hi, Frank,

Hope you don’t mind my angle. I think it gave a lot of room for everything else I wanted to write.

Peace! Shannon

Based on my lecture 03/27: My thoughts and an introduction to Frank Moore

Frank Moore: The Father or Grandfather of Performance Art

Why does performance art oftentimes highlight the bizarre, or even the grotesque (not Moore’s work necessarily but such as Nick Zedd’s piece, War is Menstrual Envy– http://www.ubu.com/film/zedd_war.html )? This is because much of performance art is produced by those who are marginalized (such as with Zedd’s piece which is possibly a commentary on queer bodies largely affected by the AIDS epidemic from the 80’s–90’s) Some other examples of marginalized performance art is Frank Moore’s work and much of the feminist performance art that we saw. The daily experience of women, queer, or disabled people is of the “other” meaning they are stigmatized, ignored, or misrepresented by society. The way to counter this is through a representation of this daily “othering” that, for our purposes comes in the form of performance art. Oftentimes perceived as “shocking,” performance art is merely a radical representation of bodies, possibly with the intention of how those with “othered bodies” might feel misrepresented on a daily basis.

For Frank Moore, he mimics the everyday–just as we saw with Third Rail who performed at lunch hour at the World Trade Center for 30 days straight. These performers infiltrated the business world, then used the everyday gestures, speech, and mostly movement to act as a bridge into beautiful, largely ignored, whimsical, or subtle “undercurrents” of movements to create dance. For othered bodies, people such as Moore experience a very different everyday. This tradition of working with the everyday or the world around you continues with Moore’s work, but with his emphasis on his perspective as a different body with unique vision/capabilities.

In this way, Moore communicates beyond what we might consider a “norm” of speech. He speaks, rather than verbally with words, through his headband laser, sounds, and expression. Most importantly, he communicates through his art and music. His art serves as commentary against the disabled who are stigmatized (or othered bodies, or ALL of us who have ever felt isolated and ignored in today’s society). The most sacred art, Moore considers to be the art of intimacy, of touch, and sensuality in which he performs in group performances. As a shaman, Frank feels that he is transforming his body into the one he sees everyday, as beautiful, sacred, and perfect. I see this as extra powerful also because it allows for othered bodies to be represented in a pleasurable state. In mainstream culture (such as fashion magazines, mainstream movies–Hollywood, and TV) usually the image of two bodies coupled intimately is reserved for the “cosmetically perfect,” those who are young, thin, manicured, and/or synthetically airbrushed into perfection. These figures are unreal representations of the bodies that we can never attain. Without noticing it, we are overwhelmed with an influx of these images every day. We might feel, as do those with othered bodies and those of different sexual orientations, as if we cannot enjoy intimacy in the same way. In this way, Frank’s art of intimacy is a device for all of us up against a repressive society that replaces healthy intimacy, community, touch, and loving touch between people oftentimes with synthesized gratuitous sex.

Lastly, I see Frank as a very spiritual person. I feel that he is a remarkable person for the committed strenuousness of his life (getting around is much more difficult for Frank) and the way in which he still carries himself with Pure Joy, grace, and compassion.

And, finally–lastly (really lastly this time), I want to say that despite your initial response on the content of Frank’s work, I hope you will recognize the value and merit of his work based on what he does for people of othered bodies, those disabled, and for all of us who have ever felt in need of more community, intimacy, and spirituality in our lives. Frank is one of the most open, joyous, approachable, and kind people I have ever met. My mom and I visited him in his Berkeley home, and we were welcomed by him, his partner Linda, and Mikee, an artist and friend. My mom, from an occupational therapist’s perspective was very open and receptive to Frank’s work. She also considers his work to be a breakthrough for those with disabilities, as well as for humanity as a whole.

I told the class and Frank that I had remarked that he is the “Father or Grandfather of Performance Art.” Acclaimed by Richard Schechner (the author of our text book, Performance Studies–an Introduction and the founder of performance studies from NYU), Frank Moore is one of his favorite performance artists. Frank also has also lectured at NYU, written numerous articles, and books, continues to perform, and has a 24 hour radio station called http://www.luver.com and a TV show.
We are very lucky and blessed to have this visit from him. I hope you will take advantage of it with your most pressing questions about his work, performance art, and the connections to your work!

Much excitement and love from your instructor,

Shannon

FRANK’S BIO: From Frank

Although he has painted bright oils and created shamanistic rituals since the late 60’s, Frank Moore first came to be known in the late 70’s as the creator of the popular/infamous cabaret show, The Outrageous Beauty Revue. Moore is known as an artist who playfully explores beyond taboos. In the 80’s he became one of the U.S.’s foremost performance artists. In 1985 Moore received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Performance Art. In 1992 he was voted Best Performance Artist by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. In the early 90’s he was targeted, along with four other performance artists, by Senator Jesse Helms as an “obscene” artist. His casts have included the likes of Annie Sprinkle, Linda Montano, Linda Sibio, Nina Hartley, and Veronica Vera.

Between 1992 and 1999 Frank Moore was the publisher and editor of the acclaimed underground zine, The Cherotic r(E)volutionary. In addition to his book, Cherotic Magic and numerous other self-published pieces, Frank Moore has been widely published on the subjects of art, sex, magic, and cultural subversion. He also teaches/lectures on these subjects. Annie Sprinkle lists Moore among her “sexual/performance teachers”.

Since 1996, Moore has run a large, extensive web site, http://www.eroplay.com , which features his and other artists’ audio, video and visual artwork. In 1999, he founded http://www.luver.com , a 24/7 webstation which has become the home for voices for change, including Dr. Susan Block. Moore has two popular shows on Public Access Television, B-TV, in Berkeley, California, Unlimited Possibilities and Going Deep to the Core at Ramen with Frank Moore. In 2007 he started campaigning to become President of the United States.

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Shannon, this is very impressive and deep… And flattering! I don’t mind your angle. You made it clear that I don’t do “crip” art. When I was running for President, NYFA Current commissioned and published one of my campaign speeches. In it I wrote:

“I am a real, serious candidate. I’m just working outside of their boxes. Outside of boxes is where the new possibilities are. Inside the limiting boxes is where political power is created. This is why the normal politicians stay in the boxes. This is why fundamental, humane change rarely—if ever—has come from power politics. I hope they keep saying that I’m not a real and serious candidate because each time they say that our blip gets brighter and more intense. I also hope they keep saying I am the candidate of the fringe, of the margins. Consider who they have marginalized… the poor, the working poor. In fact, most of the labor force: the disabled, gays, seniors, the uninsured, women, the middle class, artists, family farmers, racial minorities, immigrants, etc. Hey, I may win by a wide margin!”

In Freedom,
Frank Moore