Telescope: China | Oliver Herring pt. 3

Oliver Herring’s 3rd major all day performance is one of his trademark works. In Beijing it was titled, Areas for Action, Beijing: Color Spit. For this performance Herring enlisted 2 participants who wore light gray thermal leggings, white socks, and white T-shirts. The gallery floor was covered in brown cardboard pieced together with yellow tape. Under the direction of Herring the 2 actors filled their mouths with food color tinted water from large water bottles and began to spit; at each other, into the air, onto the walls, ceiling, floor, and existing art works. Herring choreographed them into multiple positions and actions as they spit blue, green, yellow, and red colored water, Herring constantly photographing the process as he moved in and around their actions. By the end of the day the gallery, the models faces and clothes, and everything else were drenched in streams and splatters of rainbow colors. Again, the community turned out in large numbers to witness this exhilarating and strange interaction between an artist and his 2 partners. Towards the end of the day the public was invited to suggest poses and actions for them to follow. 

Please see the preceding two posts (pt. 1 and pt. 2) for more info on Oliver Herring’s Telescope residency and performances.

Telescope would like to thank Kristi Jernigan and Beam Contemporary Art for their support for the Oliver Herring residency and exhibition. Special thanks to Josie Browne.