La Mamelle Arts Center, 3rd Floor, 70 12th Street at Market

Richard Alpert, Sylph (26th November 1976)

Description

This piece took place in a darkened gallery space. Around two of the corners that protrude into the space, there were two green tape lights that circumscribed the 270-degree circular areas on the floor. In the larger circle, the tape light was facing inward, and in the smaller one it was facing outward. A small monitor was placed on the floor within the smaller area. During the performance it showed a close-up view of my hands and arms cranking a generator while drawing with it against a white panel. In the larger circle, a tiny lightbulb connected to the generator behind the wall illuminated the photograph on my driver’s license. The rhythmic sounds of the drawing process were audible form behind the wall. An invisible element of the piece took the form of several women having been asked to come to the performance heavily perfumed, giving the space a scented odor. A perfumed card had been sent as an announcement for the place. (Alpert 1976)