A documentation of the work:
A link to Ivan Cheng's website:
10:06A:
I saw "centaur classic" (I think in lower case as I've written) it's by a young Sydney artist/performer/writer Ivan Cheng
10:08B:
was it set up to be a one off event or it was repeated
10:09A:
it ran for 3 nights, it was a one off event and was free to the public, provided you booked a ticket
10:09B:
where did it take place? a gallery?
10:10A:
I felt it was a very successful piece considering the climate of performance in Sydney at the moment
it was in a public space
not a gallery or theatre
which to me speaks of the favouring in Sydney, there isn't really a place for this work
space rather than place
there is definitely a place
10:11B:
it's interesting, I think the space definitely is important for some reason even though I can's see much of it in the video
10:12A:
it wasn't particular big
10:26A:
which was a little window into the sort of state of the work- it's funny, and deeply depressing and beautiful
Karl Holmqvist, the poet, had quite a profound influence on his work i think
10:27B:
I don't know him
10:27A:
neither
but I have been introduced and it makes sense in the light of Ivan's work, but I'd say that Ivan is pushing more towards theatre
in terms of how his work is represented
10:28B:
I'm interested in the performers...
10:29A:
Eugene is going into her Honours year at Sydney College of the Arts
So her background is fine arts, but I think she is a really skilled performer
Jimmy Dalton, who is a Sydney based director (programmed Ivan's work at a theatre called "Giant Dwarf"), agrees too... she is a very natural actor
Rainbow Chan comes from a music background too
It's the first time I've seen her perform
but she was equally as excellent
I'm not sure whether it is to note or not, but they are all of Asian decent
10:32B:
since I'm a performer as well, I always ask myself, what's the experience of the performers?
10:32A:
which is either to point out or not
Eugene I suppose has done performing within fine arts, and Rainbow as a singer and musician, but maybe not so much experience theatrically?
10:33B:
no I mean, what's their experience of the work as their doing it?
what are they experiencing it?
10:34A:
I am not sure, but they have an ear piece
with a feed of text coming through
10:34B:
because first of all I always find in live performance that comes across to the audience, and most of the times that is what makes a performance truly interesting
I mean the fact that the performance is 'live' in the first place and the people in front of you are people implies that they will feel emotions and things while they perform
10:36A:
certainly, i felt very empathetically connected
I was in the sight line for Rainbow especially, so I felt a lot of what she was expressing- it was very raw, beautiful.
10:37B:
that's good
10:37A:
yes it was
10:37B:
how did this work differ from other works of the same director?
do you see this work as a progression?
10:38A:
Ivan I guess devises and writes the pieces
10:40A:
Eugene's relationship to Rainbow, both of their's to Ivan's feed of the text
I discussed this at Christmas lunch with my cousin who also attended the show
he said he seemed to slip in and out of consciousness but that was the intention of the piece also
I agreed, I felt I had retained a good focus, and it seemed like everything that was written found it's way naturally routed again in the piece, some kind of organic repetition
it was textually layered well in that sense
10:44B:
so do you think the text was meant to be followed both as you would, say, read a book, and also maybe to be listen to as a sound that does not necessarily produce meaning but creates almost a state of trance?
10:45A:
yes, although I think sometimes the words were really intended to be heard
so the emphasis and the pace of the piece changed, I feel I retained sort of the necessary text
I think it was the intonation perhaps?
10:46B:
so, to understand further, the performers were simply repeating text that they heard through earphones?
10:47A:
yes
they were playing Ivan
10:48B:
ah interesting, they were like extensions of him
10:48A:
yes I think so
10:48B:
or better mediums
10:48A:
So they spoke of themselves in the third person
or perhaps Rainbow spoke of Eugene and Eugene of Rainbow
10:48B:
oh really, that's very interesting too
10:49A:
so they were filters of Ivan, they still held onto something that was essentially them
10:50B:
were the performers both women? one is called Eugene but they look both like women on the video...maybe I'm wrong
10:51A:
yes, one is Eugene and one is Rainbow- both young ladies
10:52B:
do you know why these two performers specifically were chosen?
10:52A:
I'm not sure, and there aren't many clues in piece
they are both female, and Ivan is male which is an interesting choice
and I'd say there are all the same age
10:53B:
yes I was going to say that
the fact that they are both female and he's a male
10:53A:
yes I've not really considered it, I just took it always as an extension of Ivan
10:54B:
I mean maybe it's a bit far fetched, but it's kind of interesting to note that the fact itself that the serve as an 'extension' of him
10:55A:
both Marcus and Shotu Matsumura (who played trumpet) were male but they weren't playing Ivan
10:55B:
and they talk about each other other in the third person
10:55A:
yes, and that he has chosen a female gaze as a filter
10:55B:
as if they had renounced their sense of self
10:55A:
elements definitely
I think just in the choreography
it seemed quite strenuous at times
10:56B:
and their were simply being puppets in a way
10:56A:
nothing I could do!
yes, but I felt Rainbow was so different to Eguene
Eugene
and perhaps that contrast was staged intentionally, Im sure it was
so they were as much Ivan as the situation and there personalities/bodies would let them be
10:58B:
it would be interesting to ask him why he wanted to be 'performed' by two women
I saw "centaur classic" (I think in lower case as I've written) it's by a young Sydney artist/performer/writer Ivan Cheng
10:08B:
was it set up to be a one off event or it was repeated
10:09A:
it ran for 3 nights, it was a one off event and was free to the public, provided you booked a ticket
10:09B:
where did it take place? a gallery?
10:10A:
I felt it was a very successful piece considering the climate of performance in Sydney at the moment
it was in a public space
not a gallery or theatre
which to me speaks of the favouring in Sydney, there isn't really a place for this work
space rather than place
there is definitely a place
10:11B:
it's interesting, I think the space definitely is important for some reason even though I can's see much of it in the video
10:12A:
it wasn't particular big
10:13B:
what was the audience's relationship to the performance?
10:13A:
it was essential to the piece, the performers (eugene and rainbow) began by closing the sliding doors
they were spectators, it was nothing immersive and it wasn't a walk in/out situation
it was set up theatrically
it had the framework of theatre
10:14B:
although it seems, from what I can see, at least, that it has something of a film set and or a photographic set in it as well
10:14A:
I've seen Ivan's previous work in more exhibitive spaces
it was a piece of art that Eugene had made
10:14B:
the way the lights are set up and the way the performers speak directly into the source of light
10:15A:
if you are talking about the small scaffolding and I think the lighting was simple, without a rig- i guess reducing the larger elements of theatre either due to the space, or Ivan's transgression into something more theatrical
his earlier incarnation of this work was 20 minutes and had one light
10:16B:
oh ok then maybe it was just an impression from what I can see in the video which doesn't correspond to the reality
what is the text about? I can't quite figure out
10:16A:
no I think the video is more a documentation
it's kind of a stream of consciousness, that follows a narrative arc without being spoon-fed story telling
10:17B:
I thought I could at the beginning, with the song, but as they started talking....is it consumerism?
ok
10:17A:
there are elements of consumerism, mildly but I wouldn't say that was the focus
there was a musician that collaborated on the piece with Ivan
Marcus Whale
10:18B:
obviously the writer/director's stream of consciousness
10:18A:
yes
10:18B:
really? Marcus is a good friend of mine
10:18A:
it is fed through an ear pierce
ah no
australia right?
10:18B:
yes yes
Collarbones
what was the audience's relationship to the performance?
10:13A:
it was essential to the piece, the performers (eugene and rainbow) began by closing the sliding doors
they were spectators, it was nothing immersive and it wasn't a walk in/out situation
it was set up theatrically
it had the framework of theatre
10:14B:
although it seems, from what I can see, at least, that it has something of a film set and or a photographic set in it as well
10:14A:
I've seen Ivan's previous work in more exhibitive spaces
it was a piece of art that Eugene had made
10:14B:
the way the lights are set up and the way the performers speak directly into the source of light
10:15A:
if you are talking about the small scaffolding and I think the lighting was simple, without a rig- i guess reducing the larger elements of theatre either due to the space, or Ivan's transgression into something more theatrical
his earlier incarnation of this work was 20 minutes and had one light
10:16B:
oh ok then maybe it was just an impression from what I can see in the video which doesn't correspond to the reality
what is the text about? I can't quite figure out
10:16A:
no I think the video is more a documentation
it's kind of a stream of consciousness, that follows a narrative arc without being spoon-fed story telling
10:17B:
I thought I could at the beginning, with the song, but as they started talking....is it consumerism?
ok
10:17A:
there are elements of consumerism, mildly but I wouldn't say that was the focus
there was a musician that collaborated on the piece with Ivan
Marcus Whale
10:18B:
obviously the writer/director's stream of consciousness
10:18A:
yes
10:18B:
really? Marcus is a good friend of mine
10:18A:
it is fed through an ear pierce
ah no
australia right?
10:18B:
yes yes
Collarbones
10:18A:
i think he is really talented!
yess
10:19B:
sure! my husband has been doing lots of things with him for quite a long time
10:19A:
amazing
crazy small world
10:19B:
yes hehe
but it seems that he (Marcus) is involved in everything
10:20A:
I don't know him, but I am good pals with ivan
10:20B:
so what did he do in this piece? the music
10:20A:
yes
which was a central focus i think
10:20B:
was he doing it live?
10:20A:
in the stream of consciousness, and it might have been one of the tangible linch pins of the work
he was operating a computer
so he was present
there was a trumpeter who was live
10:22B:
interesting
10:22A:
yes
10:22B:
you don't get that in the video documentation
10:22A:
no
10:22B:
what about the title?
10:22A:
he is next to the operating desk, sitting in the audeince
it's explained somewhere in the piece
i was trying to find it prior to our chat let me have another look
10:23B:
did they tell you anything about the work before its start?
did you know roughly what to expect?
10:25A:
I knew what to expect because I had seen Ivan's previous two works that were earlier incarnations or independent of this? But text wise no, I didn't
I had a chat with Ivan after, generally and he has expressed some of his inspirations to me
10:26B:
such as?
i think he is really talented!
yess
10:19B:
sure! my husband has been doing lots of things with him for quite a long time
10:19A:
amazing
crazy small world
10:19B:
yes hehe
but it seems that he (Marcus) is involved in everything
10:20A:
I don't know him, but I am good pals with ivan
10:20B:
so what did he do in this piece? the music
10:20A:
yes
which was a central focus i think
10:20B:
was he doing it live?
10:20A:
in the stream of consciousness, and it might have been one of the tangible linch pins of the work
he was operating a computer
so he was present
there was a trumpeter who was live
10:22B:
interesting
10:22A:
yes
10:22B:
you don't get that in the video documentation
10:22A:
no
10:22B:
what about the title?
10:22A:
he is next to the operating desk, sitting in the audeince
it's explained somewhere in the piece
i was trying to find it prior to our chat let me have another look
10:23B:
did they tell you anything about the work before its start?
did you know roughly what to expect?
10:25A:
I knew what to expect because I had seen Ivan's previous two works that were earlier incarnations or independent of this? But text wise no, I didn't
I had a chat with Ivan after, generally and he has expressed some of his inspirations to me
10:26B:
such as?
10:26A:
which was a little window into the sort of state of the work- it's funny, and deeply depressing and beautiful
Karl Holmqvist, the poet, had quite a profound influence on his work i think
10:27B:
I don't know him
10:27A:
neither
but I have been introduced and it makes sense in the light of Ivan's work, but I'd say that Ivan is pushing more towards theatre
in terms of how his work is represented
10:28B:
I'm interested in the performers...
10:29A:
Eugene is going into her Honours year at Sydney College of the Arts
So her background is fine arts, but I think she is a really skilled performer
Jimmy Dalton, who is a Sydney based director (programmed Ivan's work at a theatre called "Giant Dwarf"), agrees too... she is a very natural actor
Rainbow Chan comes from a music background too
It's the first time I've seen her perform
but she was equally as excellent
I'm not sure whether it is to note or not, but they are all of Asian decent
10:32B:
since I'm a performer as well, I always ask myself, what's the experience of the performers?
10:32A:
which is either to point out or not
Eugene I suppose has done performing within fine arts, and Rainbow as a singer and musician, but maybe not so much experience theatrically?
10:33B:
no I mean, what's their experience of the work as their doing it?
what are they experiencing it?
10:34A:
I am not sure, but they have an ear piece
with a feed of text coming through
10:34B:
because first of all I always find in live performance that comes across to the audience, and most of the times that is what makes a performance truly interesting
I mean the fact that the performance is 'live' in the first place and the people in front of you are people implies that they will feel emotions and things while they perform
10:36A:
certainly, i felt very empathetically connected
I was in the sight line for Rainbow especially, so I felt a lot of what she was expressing- it was very raw, beautiful.
10:37B:
that's good
10:37A:
yes it was
10:37B:
how did this work differ from other works of the same director?
do you see this work as a progression?
10:38A:
Ivan I guess devises and writes the pieces
the length of the show shifted the arc of the narrative
10/20 minute pieces as opposed to 58 minutes
I think it initiated some adjustment from the audience... so it was more accepted by an audience
it was a larger scale production, the introduced element of music
an additional performer
10:40B:
since the performance is quite long and there's a lot of text...did you find it was easy to follow?
10/20 minute pieces as opposed to 58 minutes
I think it initiated some adjustment from the audience... so it was more accepted by an audience
it was a larger scale production, the introduced element of music
an additional performer
10:40B:
since the performance is quite long and there's a lot of text...did you find it was easy to follow?
10:40A:
Eugene's relationship to Rainbow, both of their's to Ivan's feed of the text
I discussed this at Christmas lunch with my cousin who also attended the show
he said he seemed to slip in and out of consciousness but that was the intention of the piece also
I agreed, I felt I had retained a good focus, and it seemed like everything that was written found it's way naturally routed again in the piece, some kind of organic repetition
it was textually layered well in that sense
10:44B:
so do you think the text was meant to be followed both as you would, say, read a book, and also maybe to be listen to as a sound that does not necessarily produce meaning but creates almost a state of trance?
10:45A:
yes, although I think sometimes the words were really intended to be heard
so the emphasis and the pace of the piece changed, I feel I retained sort of the necessary text
I think it was the intonation perhaps?
10:46B:
so, to understand further, the performers were simply repeating text that they heard through earphones?
10:47A:
yes
they were playing Ivan
10:48B:
ah interesting, they were like extensions of him
10:48A:
yes I think so
10:48B:
or better mediums
10:48A:
So they spoke of themselves in the third person
or perhaps Rainbow spoke of Eugene and Eugene of Rainbow
10:48B:
oh really, that's very interesting too
10:49A:
so they were filters of Ivan, they still held onto something that was essentially them
10:50B:
were the performers both women? one is called Eugene but they look both like women on the video...maybe I'm wrong
10:51A:
yes, one is Eugene and one is Rainbow- both young ladies
10:52B:
do you know why these two performers specifically were chosen?
10:52A:
I'm not sure, and there aren't many clues in piece
they are both female, and Ivan is male which is an interesting choice
and I'd say there are all the same age
10:53B:
yes I was going to say that
the fact that they are both female and he's a male
10:53A:
yes I've not really considered it, I just took it always as an extension of Ivan
10:54B:
I mean maybe it's a bit far fetched, but it's kind of interesting to note that the fact itself that the serve as an 'extension' of him
10:55A:
both Marcus and Shotu Matsumura (who played trumpet) were male but they weren't playing Ivan
10:55B:
and they talk about each other other in the third person
10:55A:
yes, and that he has chosen a female gaze as a filter
10:55B:
as if they had renounced their sense of self
10:55A:
elements definitely
I think just in the choreography
it seemed quite strenuous at times
10:56B:
and their were simply being puppets in a way
10:56A:
nothing I could do!
yes, but I felt Rainbow was so different to Eguene
Eugene
and perhaps that contrast was staged intentionally, Im sure it was
so they were as much Ivan as the situation and there personalities/bodies would let them be
10:58B:
it would be interesting to ask him why he wanted to be 'performed' by two women
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