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medium: pigmented ink prints (map contains stitched red thread designating route taken)

Untitled (The Long Walk)
A walk from my home to another. Blindfolded, led by 4 feet of rope.
Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Distance: 9 miles

Comments from the artist/follower
When I first began to think of this performance piece, there were multiple thoughts going through my brain. One of the things I had been thinking about was trust and control, and how we give those things to others. When do we allow ourselves to give up control? Our trust- when do we fully give that to someone else? Can we fully give that to someone else? I decided that I wanted to "test" those ideas out for myself, and see what happened. I had grandiose notions of what type of spiritual, emotional, and physical experience this could be.

I asked only one of two people that I could potentially invest enough trust in to do this project. Due to the closeness and simultaneous deterioration of my relationship with this person, it seemed the perfect match, the only viable option. I was interested in the "test" previously mentioned, but also the potential of how this project/performance could also change, and possibly heal, the relationship between myself and the other performer.

What actually happened during the performance was not what I planned for. The sheer physical strain on my body was much more intense that I had anticipated. Despite the cold weather, I was usually warm, but the snow boots I had were not make for trekking 9 miles around town (blisters!!), and I had to get used to a consistent flow of snot pressed against my upper lip, trapped by my face mask.

The only communication I allowed between us was warnings of obstacles. Did I mention that running into garbage cans, parked cars, and a fence not only hurt but also scares the shit out of you when your movement is restricted and you can’t see? Not to mention that hats, mittens, gloves, and cold weather further impaired my senses of smell, touch, and hearing. However, as the walk moved into its fourth hour, I began to understand the importance of what was taking place- the progression of the relationship between the "leader" and the "follower". At the beginning of the walk, the leader paid very close attention to directing me around ice, snow, curbs, etc. We moved quite slowly and cautiously. Communication was constant and directive from the leader. I was not allowed to say anything, although at one time I have to admit that I yelled, "Hot chocolate!! Hot chocolate!!" because I was slightly cold and wanted to forget about how I wanted to stop walking! As we moved on, things began to shift, to change. Less communication was needed, because I could figure the obstacles were coming up by the movements of the leader, how his feet sounded on the ground. The leader gave me less and less direction, which resulted in the aforementioned problems of running into hard, inanimate objects, not to mention one fantastic dive into the snow and ice-covered sidewalk. For me, this is what I was looking for in the performance, although I began with different notions of how it would feel. The walk seemed to mimic the arc of a failed relationship; evolving from constant communication to more intuitive transmissions of information to relying on someone consistently (often times teetering between resentment and comfort in this) to relief that the whole damn thing is over (with scars as evidence of the dedication put into it).

This is the place I hope people viewing this piece to inhabit. I’ve never been one to prescribe answers in my work. I find it much more interesting to pose questions. What would it be like to allow someone in your life to lead you around town? What is it to enter into a relationship- what do you get, what do you give up? What expectations are made and how do those change over time? How does the other person view the same situation?

We will all have different answers. We all move to our own places, experiences, emotions: and that is when the art really begins.

Comments from the leader
I have to say when I was asked to do this I really didn’t know what to think. Our interaction over the last several months had been, well, kinda sketchy at best. We both need to ‘win’. So, anyway, I said yes, and the date was set. February 14th, alentine’s day? I really didn’t think about it until the night before, I was reminded, to be on time and not to get too drunk the night before.

I think I was suppose to be at her house at 9:30, I got there at about 10:00. We went right to work, assembled the gear, and away we went to tackle the project.

I know not everybody’s into being dressed in the same snowsuits, and being tied with a length of black rope, to your ex-girlfriend, who is blindfolded, and then leading her across town, on Valentine’s Day! For some reason this made sense to me, and I think in some way, Jes and are better friends because of it.

I think it’s fair to say that this project in many ways is a metaphor for relationships. It is wild to sit and compare the symbolism, and for me, the interaction between us, throughout the trip, and how it changes and adjusts. Even the abrupt end, when somehow you wanted the journey to keep going.

I guess the first thing I remember thinking was, what is everybody who sees us thinking? I mean seriously, I’m leading a woman around blindfolded; we’re wearing the same thing! Valentine’s Day? I would think it was some weird S & M shit. The next thing I realized was how hard this was going to be. We’re tied together. So this to represents the physical bond people have in relationships. What I found interesting is that the distance or closeness of that bond changes, just like in relationships. Sometimes I would feel her tugging at me, very close. Other times I couldn’t feel the rope at all.

This was our learning period, we were learning how to communicate, a common language of description, so she wouldn’t fall or get hurt. This brings in the issue of trust. The blindfold is trust. I’m responsible for it. In the beginning I was really worried that she would fall or get hurt, after we developed a language we kinda moved onto a more independent phase where I could say "rough snow" and Jes would understand what I meant.

So, I mentioned earlier how we were wearing the same snowsuits. For me, this was kinda how people, after they are around each other a lot, or do the same things together, start to act the same. I realize we started the journey like this, but it just reinforces the couple attribute.

The destinations also reinforce the sharing of idea in relationships. Your home is your nest, your place of refuge, and by opening your home, it demonstrates a sharing of each other’s worlds, and the great distances you sometimes have to travel to understand those worlds. Looking back on the project, even the way it ended was like a relationship for me. I wanted it to keep going, I could have walked a long time…or maybe not.

Anyway, I look at this, for me it was fun and chances are I’ll tell the story for years to come about the walk from uptown to St. Paul and what it was to me. Those who hear it will respond the same, "Were you guys on drugs?"