Douglasism : Blow by Blow

Invitation, Blow by Blow, group exhibition, with April Durham, Olive Martin & Michelle Naismith, Zoo Galerie, Nantes, 2002

While still kept under wraps, with all the mounting pent-up, tense and

impatient anticipation and excitement of waiting, auto-pygmalion

vertebrate coppelia statues thaw out and deossify, until no longer

rose veined, pale marble, frigidity, rigor-mortis and stone any

longer, but live flesh and flowing blood instead. Sudden shock,

terror, fear and joy, surprise, extasis power surge conducting through

auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia statues ignites fuse — hurled off

mantle, sent fluttering away, gets cast aside — conjuring magician

vanishing trick disappearance act — tablecloth gœs — silver cutlery

and chinaware crockery stay put — full-frontal indecent-exposure

strip-tease — olympic athlete naturist dance-troupe life-class.

Knocked-over obelisk pedestal upturns, leaving only ruined classical

column pillar head behind, smouldering, tangled with ivy, growing old

gracefully; setting auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia statues free to

rampage on the loose. All links with already strained and fraying

intravenous-drip umbilical safety-harness sever; sending

auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia statues to summersault and

cartwheel around — but pratfall down flat on face, fracture, shatter

and decapitate into potsherds and shrapnel. Dismembered head, limb,

digit, torso and sex fragments of auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia

statues are left to their own devices, find and stand upon their own

two feet, feel their way about, resort to whatever is come across that

and where they can lay their heads, set foot, get hands and hold onto

— and if it moves! Adapting to occupied territory and occupying

adapted territory, auto-pygmalion vertebrate coppelia statues lay,

hatch and nurture spawn and practice an acquired Midas-touch.

Premiered as contribution to Blow by Blow, group exhibition (with

April Durham, Olive Martin and Michelle Naismith), Zoo Galerie,

Nantes, 2002.

1st published in once the search is in progress, Cycle Post-Diplome

Internationale, ERBAN, Nantes, 2002 (accompanying Ce-Moi-Ci,

exhibition and events, same artists and host)

Spoken-word vocal input, 'Mekanik', Track 14, music by Dioz, Business

Project, music album, Dioz & co, Xarutad, Nantes, 2003

Reprinted in Honorons Honore, exhibition catalog, edited by Damien De

Lepeleire, De Garage / Cultuurcentrum, Mechelen, 2008

Douglasism