Recently I walked onto Sizewell Beach, having negotiated closed roads, new road layouts and traffic works to get to the, now, free car park.
There were a number of cars parked there, subsequently the beach was littered with people walking, picnicking and sunbathing as well as congregating around a small boat; a safety exercise was being practiced apparently.
I had set out some 70 minutes previous to go to see an exhibition in Leiston, of works made about the Suffolk coastline, but was able to factor in a beach stop to quickly make a video piece that I have had written up in my notes app for some time.
I felt rather disorientated by the number of people present, Im used to visiting the coast when people are not generally around, I love the isolation that beaches can create with their expanse and regularly activity seek that isolation.
I like to make work away from people and the random interactions that can occur, particularly when filming, so that interruptions born through curiosity are not something that impacts on what is recorded.
I continued about my way finding a portion of beach that was a modest distance from people and set up.
I made the work and reviewed the recording of it, finding only a dog coming briefly into shot and a couple seen sitting in the distance, which for my requirements I deemed as acceptable.
Filming work with the constant worry that someone could interrupt is something I do not enjoy. With video performance, the presence of cameras can spark curiosity and a need in people to satisfy that curiosity. Curiosity and engagement are things that as artists we often seek when presenting/exhibiting work, it seems strange that for me its the opposite when making the work itself.
I feel that while filming video performance it can be likened to how a sculptor may work in their studio in relative isolation, that only when the work is deemed complete that they are happy for it to be seen.
With performance video there is the added element of how the filming is both the work/document of the work, that interactions are not necessarily invited and are not something that is intended on forming part of the work/documentation of the work. In many instances I have made video performance pieces repeated times until I have the footage that I wish to present, members of the public interacting may be cause to re shoot the work, causing it to take more time and energy than anticipated, I feel this is something that has to be factored into the process and lived with, after all human interaction is never entirely predictable.
