AT THE SFAI FOR DR ARUNA MEHTA MEMORIAL

DEAR ARTISTS OF ART AND ARTISTS OF LIFE

BEFORE I BEGIN, MY FELLOW PERFORMER AND I , KATHERINE WILLIAMSON, WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT AN AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION GAME CALLED C.G.R.C. TRANSLATED AS COMMUNITY OF GIVING, RECEIVING AND CONNECTING.

WE ALL KNLW ABOUT CPR, THIS IS CGRC,. IN FACT IF THERE IS A MEDICAL PERSON HERE WHO COULD DEMONSTRATE CPR, IF NOT, CHEST ONLY, NO MORE MOUTH TO MOUTH, USING THE HEEL OF THE HAND WHILE  HUMMING STAYING ALIVE. CORRECT? CAN WE PRACTICE HUMMING STAYING ALIVE IN GOOD PAULINE OLIVEROS FASHION?

  TO RETURN TO CGRC, IT WORKS LIKE THIS:
PRESENT A NEED OR PRESENT TO US SOMETHING YOU CAN GIVE
THEN CONNECT VIA IMMEDIATE CELL NUMBER GIVEN HERE, IN PUBLIC, OR EMAIL ADDRESS SHOUTED OUT OR CONNECTING AFTER THE PROGRAM?

 TO DEMONSTRATE: I NEED TO FIND SOMEONE WHO NEEDS A TAX WRITE OFF TO BUY MY ARCHIVE, OWN IT AND THEN DONATE IT TO NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. THE FINDERS FEE IS I GIVE THEM A DAY WITH LINDA MONTANO, TIED AT THE WAIST OR WRIST OR LEG WITH AN 8 FT ROPE. NOW LETS PLAY... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SERIOUSLY, IT IS TRULY A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AGAIN AT THE SFAI, MY ART HOME.
 IT TAKES A TEAM TO COORDINATE OUR LIVES: FOR EXAMPLE WE EAT A BAGEL BUT FIRST THERE IS A SEED PLANTED IN THE EARTH AND IT IS
 WATERED,
 WEEDED,
PICKED,
HARVESTED,
 GROUNDED,
TRUCKED TO A PLACE WHERE IT IS
MADE INTO A BAGEL AND
THEN IT IS TRUCKED TO A STORE AND
SOMEONE DRIVES TO THE STORE AND
BUYS IT,
 BRINGS IT HOME,
 CUTS IT,
 TOASTS IT,
PUTS CREAM CHEESE ON IT
 AND THEN EATS IT.

            THANK YOU SHARON GRACE ,TONY LABAT AND ALLAN DE SOUZA FOR ORCHESTRATING THE VISIT, THANK YOU SARAH EWICK FOR MANAGING ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS, THANK YOU KATHERINE WILLIAMSON FOR PERFORMING WITH ME, THANKS TO SASHA DOBS, MANAGER OF THE LECTURE HALL AND KENT LONG , PROJECTIONIST.
THANKS TOBE CAREY VIDEO EDITOR...

AND THANKS TO EACH OF YOU FOR FINDING TIME TO COME HERE,
ON FOOT,
 CAR,
BUS,
 SUBWAY,
 BIKE,
TAXI,

..I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN A GROUP, ONE HOUR, FACE-TIME PERFORMANCE.

 IN 25 YEARS WE MIGHT BE LISPING ROBOTS FACE TO ROBOT FACE, WHO KNOWS?

  TRULY I THANK YOU FOR YOUR FACE TIME, A REAL COMMODITY, AND WONDER HOW YOU GOT HERE?
 HOW MANY PARKED IN
A 2 HOUR ZONE?
 DROVE OVER 1 HOUR TO GET HERE?
  HOW MANY TOOK BUS?
TAXI?
 BIKE?
BOAT?
 HOW MANY LEFT CAREGIVING A PARENT,
FRIEND,
CHILD TO GET HERE?
 HOW MANY LEFT A GARDEN?
MEDITATION CUSHION?
 MISSED A MEAL?
HOW MANY SPENT MORE THAN 7 DOLLARS TO GET HERE?

  I AM GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PRESENCE. ORIGINALLY I WAS GOING TO SHOW THE FILM, NO WORDS, BUT..
 THEN THE BIRDS,
 THEN THE MUD,
THEN MORE WATER,

THEN OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS MORE AND MORE NUMBERLESS TOXIC NUMBINGS KEPT COMING AND I RESPONDED TO OUR PRESIDENTS CALL FOR AN INCREASE OF
  ACCOUNTABILITY,
TRANSPARENCY,
RESPONSIBILITY AND
CIVILITY BY MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH MY ART CONTENT.

 OF COURSE WE ARTISTS ARE NOT HAVING TO BE AS RESPONSIBLE AS THE:

 NEUROSURGEON IMPLANTING A DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION UNIT IN A PATIENT,
 OR AS ACCOUNTABLE AS A JET AIRLINE PILOT FLYING TO COSTA RICA
 OR AS WAKEFUL AS A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER BRINGING FIRST GRADERS BACK HOME AT 2:30PM.

 WE ARTISTS ARE ACCOUNTABLE IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY TO MYSTERY ITSELF OR AS POET JEROME ROTHENBERG STATES....WE ARE TECHNICIANS OF THE SACRED.

BUT GOOD CATHOLIC GIRL THAT I HAVE RE-BECOME, I NEED TO GIVE WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS JUST IN CASE .......

  THE FILMS: THE BUDDHA SAW SICKNESS OLD AGE AND DEATH AND GOT BUSY WAKING UP..I AM INSPIRED TO DO THE SAME, NOT ONLY BECAUSE MY ITALIAN ZEN FATHER USED TO SAY, LINDA WAKE UP ALOT BUT BECAUSE 1. I HAVE A MOVEMENT DISORDER,
2. IM OLD AND
 3. MY BEST FRIEND DR ARUNA MEHTA DIED.

  DISCLAIMER
1.FOR FILM:THE LISPING ROBOT POVERA:

 MY MOTHER COLLECTED MOST OF THESE MASKS AND IN HER 70S WENT OUT TRICK OR TREATING ON HALLOWEEN WEARING THEM. SHE IS MY FIRST PERFORMANCE ART TEACHER. I DISCLAIM THAT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DISCLAIM HERE, EXCEPT THAT I GREW UP WITH THESE MASKS AND THEY REFERENCE NOTHING BUT MY EARLY CHILDHOOD INFLUENCES AND MY MOTHER'S CREATIVITY. DISCLAIMER

 2:FOR FILM DYSTONIA: HIDE YOUR EYES IF U DONT LIKE NEEDLES..
TEXT,
 CLEAR YOUR CELLPHONE
, CHECK YOUR EMAIL,
 BALANCE YOUR CHECKBOOK

 ...BUT KNOW THAT MY INTENTION IS TO USE MY PAIN AS A METHOD AND MATERIAL FOR ART. THE WAY I DO THAT IS TO CUT AND PASTE ILLNESS AND BRING IT OUT OF THE OYE VEY MIND, THEN TRANSFORM PAIN WITH WORDS, FILM, PERFORMANCE, BOOKS.... DEMONSTRATING THE RECIEPE:
 IF LIFE
 OR THE PLANET HURTS MAKE ART,
 IF LIFE
 OR THE PLANET DOESNT HURT, MAKE ART.

ART IS NEUROBIOLOGY. (HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE A STROKE..TED TALKS...JILL B TAYLOR, NEURO BIOLOGIST)

DISCLAIMER 3 FOR FILM : MOTHER TERESA:WITH ALL DUE RESPECT:ONE DAY WHILE MY DYSTONIA CRAMPED ME OVER , I FELT JUST LIKE MOTHER TERESA. THAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THIS PERFORMANCE.

 HONESTLY POPE BENEDICT,
IM NOT PARODYING RELIGION, JUST PRAYING AS ART.

DISCLAIMER 4 FOR FILM : THANK YOU DR ARUNA MEHTA: MATAJI, MA, BA(GRANDMOTHER ) HAS MANY NAMES, BUT I KNOW HER AS THE MOTHER OF COMPASSION. IN THIS FILM ARE FOUR OF HER MANY GRANDCHILDREN: NEHA ,DIMPESH, AMISHA AND ASMI AND HER HUSBAND.

 ASHISH, HER GRANDSON IS WITH US TONIGHT.

MY INTENTION IS TO HONOR HER AND SHARE HER GREATNESS WITH U. AT THE END OF THE PERFORMANCE I WILL GIVE YOU A PAPER WHICH CONTAINS ONE OF HER WISDOM SAYINGS.

THIS FILM IS WITHOUT DISCLAIMER.

DISCLAIMER 5 FOR THE YOU TUBE OF 2 YEAR OLD GIRL SINGING..

THE DISCLAIMER IS:COMPASSIONATE HOPE.

AT AMERICAN INDIAN POTLATCHES ,GIFTS WERE GIVEN . I END THIS INTRODUCTION WITH THE GIFT OF A QUICK VERBAL SCAN OF THE BODY..
A GIFT OF GRATITUDE TO THE 300 TRILLION CELLS OF THE BODY,
  GRATITUDE TO THE 230 BONES,
THE 650 MUSCLES, NO PAY,
THE 7 GLANDS,
 THE 24 FEET OF INTESTINE,
  GRATITUDE TO THE HEART, TO THE HEART, TO THE HEART..............

  THANK YOU,    LINDA