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Page 1: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 1/18

DanShipsides-Pataperception-MountainsidesSymposium

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MountainsidesSymposiumLeedsStage.LeedsUniversity2016

Thisrepresentsoneofanumberofoverlappingperformance-talkswhereIexploretheideasgroundinandaround'pata-physicsandmyownframeworkofpata-perceptionasawaytounderstandmyartistmethod.

Eachperformancetalkdevelopestheconcept:

MountainsidesSymposium,LeedsUniveristy,2016KendalMountainFestival,2016CMITconference,SheffieldHallam,2017AlternativeUniversity,UCUQueensBelfast,2018

Theimageshereareslidesfromapresentationwhichwaspartperformed-partpresentedinanexperimentalartisttalkstyle.

Thetextisjustmytalknotesandarenotscriptedoraccuratetowhatwasactuallyspoken.Thereisanaudiorecording(forthcoming)ofthetalkwhichcouldbeusedasthelivecommentarytonavigatetheimagesbelow.

Note;Eachimagewillenlargeifyouclickonthemandsomewilllinktovideo.

Intro:HELLO!ArtistandclimberbasedBelfast

Page 2: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 2/18

TheStoneBridge.PLAYVIDEO-andDANCE!

So,whatis‘pata-perception‘PATA-PERCEPTION?Mycoinedterm–andatermI’mdeveloping…butitcomesfrom:

Pataphysics–100years+Whatis‘pata-physics?

AlfredJarry(inDrFaustrollwritten1898publishedposthumously1911)

Thescienceofimaginarysolutions.Thescienceoftheexception.

Page 3: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 3/18

If‘theexceptionprovestherule’thenweneedtocelebrateandembracetheexception.So‘pataphysicsmightbethoughtofasthescienceoftheexceptional.

Ithassomekeyfeaturesorthemes:

Equivalence(everythingisaseriousasanythingelse-Lateral)–levelhierarchiesofknowledgeorvalue.Anomaly(exceptions)Antimony–Plus/Minus(holdingcontradictions)–Christ/antiChrist,Yin/YangSyzygy(comingtogetherofdisparates)Time/Space(anachronism)inconsistenciesinhowweimaginespace(cubism)Time/Space.Quantuminconsistencies.AnachronisticHumour–baseandcomplex–fromshitsticksjuveniliatotheabsurdistandpoeticallytrancendant

It’sattractedsomeofthemostcreativepeoplefromartists,musicanstowriterstoplayrights:Jarry,DuchampCalvino,Vian,Cage,JohnLennon.MontyPython.Poeticmethod:RaymondRoussell

ReneDaumal’sunfinishedMountAnalogue:ANovelofSymbolicallyAuthenticNon-EuclideanAdventureinMountainClimbing(written1939-44–publishedposthumouslyin1952…isaclearbridgetomyinterestsinclimbing.

So‘pataphysicsformeunhingesartistsfrompredictableortheorthodoxwaysofworking.It’sanantidotetotheslavishandflawedlogicalrationalworldofacademiaandart–whereideasofdesire,love,whim,play,compulsionandmadness(therealdriversoflifeandart...!)arestudiouslyavoided.

Creativemethod:Collide,juxtapose,overlap,counterintuition,intuition.Mindfulness,forgetfulness,remembering,repeat,repeat,repeat,undo–redo.Fuzzylogic,misinterpret.Hybridity.

Therearenorules–buttheonesyoumakeyourself…

Forme,pataphysicscontainsorembodiestheclosestormostcompellingdescriptionof,orbestframeworkfor,whatartistsdo-thestructure(less)methodsweemploy.

Page 4: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 4/18

Taketheimageaway–there’syourmountain...

'Pata-perception:

perceive-something,recognise-nothing,conceive-anything,cognise-everything...

Notwildandfanciful.

Myideaspata-perception–groundedinexperience–livedexperience.

seeDeleuze's"HowJarry'sPataphysicsOpenedtheWayforPhenomenology"

Inshort:"Anapproachtoexperimentallyintervenewithperceptionorprocessingperceptionorlivedexperience."

Or‘willfullyseeingthingsandactinguponthingsdifferently’.

Somekeyaspectsofmyof‘pata-perceptionthatIwillspeakabouttodayareabout:

1Climbingasexceptionalandart-likething2Ubu-image(processing,intervening,disrupting,embodying)Vibrantnilhism3Lateralpractice(crossdisciplinary,collision,horizontalhistories,contagions)

Page 5: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 5/18

Page 6: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 6/18

LandscapeEmpiricistapproach–Berkley"Weonlyknowthethingwearelookingatthroughtheframeofthemeansbywhichwelookatit."

Climbingperformsthisforme

-soI’minterestedinclimbingandmountaineeringasaframeworkthroughwhichweunderstandmountainsandrockyplaces-landscape.

Inthislandscapetheimagelessimportant(noseagainstrock).

Shiftawayfromconventionallandscapeinmywork.

Climbingbringssomethingdifferent–eventhanwalking,runningorbiking–it’ssohandson,tactile,physicallylocatedandpsychological–sooffersalotofrichterritoryforre-thinkinglandscapeinquitearadicalway.

Thedifference-nessofclimbing–whatitbringstolandscape(moreoftentownfolknotdeepruralists)

DenhamQuarry–thelandscapenotasepicandbigNATURE.Quiteurbanandgritty.

Page 7: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 7/18

ClimbingasspiritoftheAvantGarde(IngeographerStephenDaniels’recentbookLandscape,2015).That’saninterestingthought–asIwouldarguethatinterestinclimbingisthatitcanbeverydifferentthanmanyotherwaysofengagingthelandscape.

Notsurehequitemeantthis….(1920'sAAvanteGardetheatre).ButIthinkhewasdescribingthechangingattitudeofclimbingandclimbersinthemid-late20thCenturyinrelationtosocietyorthemainstream.

Setasidefromthenormsofsociety.60's70's80’s-Dawes.Pritchard,Redhead,Fowler,Whillans,Brown,Bancroft,Perrin,Bridwell

Avantgarde–pataphysical…

Climbingasart-likething:HaroldDrasdo…text(WelshClimber.OrdinaryRoute1997)Wecandescribetheformofadanceabstractly,aseasilyasaclimbwithouttheclimber.Yetclimbing,uniquely,alsoproducessomethinganalogoustomaterialworksofart,theclimbsthemselves.Andit’safactthatindiscussingparticularclimbsweusealanguagelikethatofaesthetics,valuingthemonscalesofseriousness,complexity,integrityandindividuality;settingtheminrelationships;rejectingthemforartificialityorimpermanence.

Thisnailsitas:whatisparticular,peculiaraboutclimbingandit’stheclimbsthemselves.

Theclimbasaspecificculturalthingorform–THEROUTE

Routesasconstructed,createdhumanthings:

Strapadictomy-greatexample–deviouswordplay

RouteTitlesareabrilliantexampleofthepataphysicialspiritinclimbing.

Routesareauthored-titled,dated,

Page 8: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 8/18

Routesaregradedintermsoftechnicalabilityrequiredbutalsoaestheticgrading-starsystem.

Theyarealsodocuments,textsandverbalartifacts–inguidebooks,online,conversations.

TheRouteiscentraltothewholecultureofclimbing.

Routescouldbethoughtof….drawings,sculptures,performances.

GeckoRoof(2000)(DanShipsides)SydneyMCA-OverhangingrouteinSydneyHarbor-illegal.

Landscapeasmovement-ourphysicalpassage/engagement–ratherthanwhatitlookslike.

Quitetightmethodology–veryfocusedandprecise–reducingaestheticpossibilities–reducingscopeofreadingormeaning(butinthispossiblyexanding-theworldinagrainofsandetc)–andaddingthepotentialengagementtoincludekinesthetic.

Systems–structuralapproaches,pragmaticmethodsbasedonlogicandrationalthinkingaswellasintuition,visionandtalent:buttowardswaystogetintowilderandcrazysituations.(thiscoulddescribeart)

PublicCommission2011(DanShipsides)-anewrouteasapublicartwork...?Dance,movementworkshops-andcoastalcampingcollaborativeresidencywithEchoEchoDance.LotsofclimbingandImadenewroute.

PublicFunding.Climbingasart??

ThinkingofaclimbasaPublicArtwork:

–howhave/dopeopleengagewithit

Page 9: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 9/18

–whatdifferentmodesofaccessor‘consumption’?

-howmanyhaveactuallyclimbedit???-seenitforreal,?-seentheguidebook?-seenthewebsite?-heardthestoriesetcetc.?

-purest/fullestmodeofengagement?–climbingit.

-Formsofengagementandaccess?

-ResponsibilityoftheArtist?Health&Safety?

Interestingthoughtsaboutaccesstocreativeknowledgeorbeauty-anddanger.Somecaveartplacedinveryinaccessibleanddangerouspartsofthecavesystems-asiftolimitaccessorheightentheexperienceoftheencounterwiththeart/knowledge/experience.

Drawing:-theropeandprotection….'stitching'totherocktheropemakesalinedrawing.PaulKlee–takingalineforawalk.Takingaropeforaclimb.

TheDUEL:aproblem(aclimbincalledaprobleminboudering).JoMontchausee-Font.Mathprofessor.

Creativityinhowyouaddressaproblem-Drawing–mathematicalproblem.Cezanne??

SettingPROBLEMSforourselves:Creativeprocessandsolutions(ImaginarySolutions)

Page 10: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 10/18

UbuisacharacterinJarry’sproto‘pataphysicalplayswhoishellbentonwreckingstuff.He’sthenihilisticforcethatdestroysdecorumandliterallyassaultthestatus-quobyattemptingtobecomeitinhisowndysfunctionalmanner.

Ubu-image-IMAGEDISTRUPTION-ProblemswithIMAGE.

OksohereIcouldmakeafeministargumentthatthelandscapeisgenderedbythemalegaze(asGillianRosemakesinheressayTheLandscape,TheGazeandMasculinity,1993).AndwhichIthinkthisistruetoanextentandperhaps

Page 11: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 11/18

controversiallyIalsothinkclimbing(despiteitsoftenperceivedmasculinity…)couldofferamoreintimatepansexualembodiedpossibilityofre-imaginingtheactofclimbingasdissolvingtheobject-subjectrelationshipbetweenmanandnature.Butthat’snotfortoday….luckilyforyou…

BUTOneoftheproblemsisthattheimagenatureofcontemporarylifeiscommodified–it’snowatasaturatedpointwhereouradventureandfreedomiscolonizedandcommodifiedintothespectacular.

TakingaspectsofcritiquefromGUYDEBORD’s(SocietyoftheSpectacle1969)–thespectacleisaproblem–thespectacleofadventure,-thespectacleofnature-thespectacleoflookingitself-itmakesuspassive,-itstealsourresponsibility,-itmakesusconsumers,

-itseducesustobelievetheimageistherealthing.

Ifwethinkofthelandsacpe/adventureimageinrelationtomountainactivityintermsofspeedandmarketeconomy:

-quiteafaststart...GrandToursketchesandpaintingverypopular–upandrunning...Whymperetchings1stascentoftheMatterhorn–1871-onthebikenow...withAbrahamsBro’sphotos–anengineisintroduced…(thecamera)–wellinto2ndgearHighmagazine,MOUNTAINMagazine70,80sandmid90's–5thgearOnTheEdgemagazine90's-dialupmodemspeedUKClimbingwebsitesetsuponline–yourdesktopscreenandTV–online,socialmedia,vimeo,youtube–theimagehasreachedhyperspeed–warpfactor9–andit’srightthereinyourpocket.

dumbandpredictableimagery

Butthemainthingis,thinkingaboutlandscape,LANDSCAPEISN’TJUSTSOMETHINGWELOOKAT!–wehavetostartbygettingthat‘landscape’imageoutoftheway–andallowthingslikephysicality,space,social,thewiderculturetocomeintoit.

Theimageactuallykeepsusoutofthatspace.SOWENEEDTOUBUIT!

Page 12: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 12/18

Touchstone–18monthsclimbingwithablindman-John–fingercameras–sothecameradirectionifyoulikeisdictatedbytactilityandmovement.

(avoidingtheorganizingprinciplesoftheeye)

Collapsingvision(thecamerasbreakdownandmalfunction-seemedperfectresult-andinawayreallymaketheartwork)

Shiftingtheencounterwiththeimage.

Page 13: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 13/18

BRINGSTHEVIEWERINTOANENCOUNTER(oradventure)WITHTHEHEREANDNOWASETHETIC–ratherthanthereceiverofanIMAGESPACEelsewhere

LATERALPRACTICE

-syzygycomingtogetherofdisparatethings.

Beyondit’sexpectedgenre,topic,categoryorboundary–expandwhereitmightconnectorresonate.

Page 14: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 14/18

Connectthroughpointsofcommonality.

ClimbingandArtareagoodexampleofLateralPractice–butyoucanalsounderstandtheprinciplewithinthemesandideasofcreativeprocesses.

Slidingacrossdifferentideas.

Horizontal/Lateral(rhizomatic)ratherthenvertical(History-theCanon)

Thefollowingsequenceisasetoflateralsyzygysandoddconnections-startingwithalighteningstrikeonamountainintheItalianDolomites.

Notesnotneeded-speakaboutthework.

Page 17: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

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Page 18: PLAY VIDEO - and DANCE! - Ulster University...Fowler, Whillans, Brown, Bancroft, Perrin, Bridwell Avant garde – pataphysica l… Climbing as art-like thing : Harold Drasdo…text

11/09/2019 Dan Shipsides - Pata-perception - Mountain Symposium

www.danshipsides.com/DshipsidesWeb/Pataperception Mountain Symposium.html 18/18


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