on the corner, at the edge of this star-studded pathway / documenting days, dates, and time / have battles been fought here? / does your heart lie here / rooted and unveiled in a blue light?

Art to Heart
by Carron Little & Duff Norris

Outdoor Performance Art on November 26, 2022
produced by Out of Site
at Barrowland Park, Glasgow, Scotland

The materials for this performance were gathered through the week by walking around Glasgow and generating inspiration on the site prior to the performance and then during the performance. On this site there is a silver birch forest with a path through the middle. The path is filled with rainbow colours that document all the pop bands that have played in Scotland along with the dates of their performance. The title of the bands has the potential to evoke poetry as one walks across these memories.

Inspired by ultramarine blue pigment and gold ochre and spending time in the site Carron was inspired by the symmetry of the trees and shared a mathematical pattern with Duff that would form part of the inspiration for this performance. The pattern came from Celtic symbolism Carron has researched. After cleaning the pathway of leaves Carron and Duff dipped their hands into the metal bucket of water and then into a colour of pigment planting the imprints of the pigment on each other’s white clothes.

Here the action started where Duff drew shapes and patterns on the path with the blue pigment and Carron coated leaves in gold ochre placing them on words to creating a spontaneous poem. Each performer settled at a tree capturing that moment of stillness. They then started drawing circles around the trees caressing the soil. After this action was complete the performers stood in a square in the center of the trees and Carron pulled out a wig from her crotch. The final action involved Carron drawing a second colour of pigment around the trees and then placing the wig on the date her father died. She covered the black wig in a pile of autumn coloured leaves and poured the blue pigment that expanded into a halo about the pile. She then sprinkled the gold ochre that remained that expanded into little stars in the blue water. Excited by this discovery sprinkling stars Duff placed his hand on her arm and that was the end of the performance.

This was live stream performance on the Out of Site twitch channel and lives as a document on Out of Site’s YouTube channel.