BiPartisan ft. Amanda Grae Platner and Hasani Sahlehe,
2017

In Work Week Performance (Bipartisan), artists Amanda Grae Planter and Hasani Sahlehe worked together to transform the 20x 20x 20 gallery space.  They worked sixteen hours a day, for five consecutive days.  There was no conversation about the process, or the desired outcome, only that both artists agree to work towards a successful piece.  There was no verbal communication during the performance. 

The two artists took turns, creating one mark per turn.  For each artist the choice of material, and tool will be made by the other artist.  During a turn, one artist considered what they would like the next mark to be, prepared a tool (example, load a paintbrush with paint), then hand it to the other artist to create the mark.  

This performance was an exploration in trust, expectations, and loss of control.  Both artists desired the piece to be successful.  However, their individual ideas of success, and how to accomplish that goal were different, creating tension, conflict, and resolution- developing and crescendoing through a body language repertoire that evolved over the week. What emerged was visual jazz.

Photography:
Rose Smith