I am Next

Tamsin Spargo

2023

Artist Statement

This performance ties into key themes in my work surrounding the nature of drawing and questioning the ways that a drawing can be produced. The performance questions the roles of the artist and the audience, reducing the boundaries between them and reversing their usual roles. Whilst the artist is the focal point of the work, the work is not possible without the presence and cooperation of the audience. Much like graffiti tags indicate the presence of an individual, the marks that the audience members leave behind are records of their presence. There is a contrast between marks left on the artist’s skin, which will be washed away, and marks left on the clothing, which are more permanent. The work also raises questions around whose presence is more important during this act, or whether the artist and audience are equal participants, and therefore collaborators, in the work. Audience members are invited to choose a material and add a mark to my clothing or exposed skin, including my face. Audience members can participate as many times as they would like and there are no restrictions on the type of marks they can make.

Documentation