mind plasma! TJ Richter - Abrasion Stations of the Lost (New Year's Eve 2000)

Originally, Kurt Eckes of the Drop Bass Network asked me to come up with an installation for the outdoor event, "Even Futhur" 2000. Kurt suggested something like,"the stations of the cross with needle exchange program signs in reverse." OK...? I had six weeks to write the stories and produce the art. This made me strong creatively, like painting a fresco, whatever idea came out had to be used immediately, there was no time for re-working or producing extra stories if something didn't work out. I did not have the luxury of throwing one idea away.


After scrambling to get the installation done, it wasn't even used! Because of the weather, event preparations fell behind schedule and the installation was never set up. The installation was used at the next party, "The Second Coming," which was an indoor event. This was fortunate, because I would prefer people look at the art indoors where they could concentrate on it, rather than some hot sweaty field shielding themselves from the sun suffering from dehydration, yuck!


I never wanted an art gallery opening of my artwork. Gallery openings are exclusive and boring. The presentation of art should be a reflection of the art itself: it should be on the bottom of a skateboard flying out of an empty swimming pool, engraved on a bullet shot with extreme prejudice, molded on the head of a condom as it's penetrating Madonna. Since this was a Drop Bass rave party, the artwork matched the energy of the event itself, perfect.


The installation was a great success, and people lined up all night long to check it out. Even after the event, some undercover cop kept looking at the "Golden Shower Golden Rule" station, what's that about?


Drop Bass Network's "The Second Coming" event, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wisconsin, New Year's Eve 2000-2001. Camera-person: Eric Schiller

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• mind
• plasma!
• TJ
• Richter
• Abrasion
• Stations
• of
• the
• Lost
• Installation
• Drop
• Bass
• Network
• Second
• Coming
• New
• Performance
• Art
• Poetry
• Spoken
• Word
• Spoken-word
• Spokenword