LECTURE FROM SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE HALLOWEEN 2014

LECTURE FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE  HALLOWEEN VIDEO-PERFORMANCE BY LINDA MARY MONTANO OCT 31 ,2014

HALLOWEEN  ORIGINATED 2000 YEARS AGO AS A CELTIC HARVEST FEAST AND WAS CALLED SAMHAIM. IT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF WINTER, A TIME WHEN GHOSTS RETURNED TO THE EARTH TO COMPROMISE THE CROPS AND SCARE THE PEOPLE. THE CELTS WORE ANIMAL MASKS AND SKINS AS A WAY TO INTERACT WITH AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE SPIRIT WORLD.

CHRISTIANS RE-INVENTED THE HARVEST RITUAL AND CALLED IT ALL-HALLOWS DAY, TO REMEMBER:

1. THE DEAD

2. THE SAINTS OR "HALLOWS"

3. THE MARTYRS.

THE THEME OF THIS HOLIDAY IS "USING HUMOR AND REDICULE TO CONFRONT THE POWER OF DEATH."

I SEE HALLOWEEN AS A TIME TO CLEAN OUT, CLEAR OUT, COLONIC THE FEAR QUADRANT OF THE BRAIN BY TURNING UP THE HEAT ON HORRIFYING HORRORS OF OUR SCARY UNIVERSE. WE DO THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ADRENAL GLANDS ARE OPERATING SUCCESSFULLY, NOT DEPLETED,AND WE ALSO DO THIS SO THAT WE CAN HONOR THE SCARY DEBRIS THAT HAS ACCUMULATED FROM THE PAST HALLOWEEN.
MY ARTIST MOTHER, MILDRED MONTANO, MENTORED ME HOW IT COULD BE CELEBRATED BY CROSS-DRESSING EACH YEAR AND GOING UNRECOGNIZED TO THE PORCHES OF HER NEIGHBORS, THRILLING HERSELF BY HER DISGUISE AND SURPRISING HER FRIENDS WHEN SHE TOOK OFF HER MASK. SHE DID THIS INTO HER 70'S.
HALLOWEEN FITS MY OWN NEED TO HONOR THE HORRIBLY HORRIFIC BY FACING  REAL DARKENSS AND REAL TRUTH RITUALUISTICALLY, PLAYFULLY, OPERATICALLY AND AESTHETICALLY.   DIMENTIA AND ALZHEIMERS WERE ONCE MY FEARS OF CHOICE, THUS THE VIDEO NURSE, NURSE, BUT SINCE THE EBOLA PANDEMIC, MY CHOICES HAVE WIDENED AND I NOW HAVE WIDENED MY VISION AS WE ALL LIVE IN A HORRID GROUP SOUP OF TERROR. ADMITTEDLY THIS HALLOWEEN IS AN INCREDIBLY SPECIAL ONE AND SORELY NEEDED.


THE OTHER VIDEO I WILL SHOW IS A 34 MINUTE WORK IN PROGRESS TITLED LIVING ART/DYING ART.
IT INCLUDES  REALLY ANCIENT FEARS, TABOOS AND CULTURAL DEATH CEREMONIES THAT ARE NO LONGER RELEVANT BECAUSE NOW ISSUES FROM THE LATE 90'S THAT I WROTE ABOUT BACK THEN ARE TOTALLY OUTDATED AND ARE BLAND NEXT TO OUR UNIVERSAL INSOMNIA CAUSING ACTUAL PANDEMIC NIGHTMARES.
I NEED HELP.  WE ALL NEED HELP! HELP TO LET GO OF TERROR, LET GO OF QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS, LET GO OF  MIGRAINED FEAR OF FLYING AND TERROR OF DYING. MAYBE THE 3 HALLOWEENETTE- GLANDETTES CAN HELP US? I INVITE 3 GLANDETTE- HALLOWEEN-ETTES TO COME FORWARD TO CELEBRATE RELEASING OF TRAUMA WITH US. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CATHARTICALLY SCREAM, SHREEK, SHOUT,  GRIMACE AND MAKE GESTICULATIONS OF TERROR AS I READ A LIST OF CURRENT HORRIFYING HORRORS, GATHERED FROM THE MEDIA, POST ISIS/ EBOLA 2014. AND THEY WILL IM SURE INSPIRE YOU ALSO TO JOIN IN THEIR COLONOSCOPY OF SOUND BY MAKING LOW BOOOOO'S, MIDDLE  BOOO'S AND HIGH BOOOOO'S.

ASPECT  1:
CRUCIFIXIONS
BEHEADINGS
PESTILENCES
FLOODS
PLAGUES
HURRICANES
TYPHONS
CYCLONES
DROUGHTS
LANDSLIDES
EARTHQUAKES

ASPECT 2:
SMART  CARS
FOODLESS  FOOD
MISSING  AIRPLANES
RADIATED  FISH
GHOULISH LIFE-MARES
CONFUSED  CLERGY

QUARANTEENED NURSES

EXPLODING ROCKETS

FLOWING LAVA
AIRBOURNE  VIRUSES
CONFUSED  TEENS
JITTERY  JIHADISTS
JOBLESS  DISCONTENTS
POISONED  FOOD
RECALLED  CARS
BOTOXED  MOVIESTARS
BATTERED  BEES
OVER-DRUGGED  DEPRESSIVES
HUNGRY  HOMELESS
RELIGIOUS  FUNDAMENTALISTS
RANDY  ROBOTS
SLIMY  SINKHOLES
UNTOUCHED  INFANTS
MONSTER  MILITANTS
SOLAR  STORMS
POLICE  BULLIES
GREEDY  CEO'S
FOOTBALL  INJURIES
CONSPIRACY  THEORISTS
BURNED OUT DOCTORS
TORTURING  NARCISSISTS
PARALYZING  VIRUSES
DRIFTING  DRONES
SUBTERRANEAN  HUMS

CONTAGIOUS TOILETS

EXPLODING VOLCANOES
HARRIED  HOSTESSES

ASPECT 3:
TEXTING  DRIVERS
TOILET  PAPER  WASTERS
WILD  FIRE  STARTERS
MEDICATION  ABUSERS
ANIMAL  HOARDERS
GYMNASTIC THUMBERS

SECRET SERVICE SLACKERS

VICTORY RIOTERS

WHITE HOUSE HACKERS

FREE LOADERS

CONTAGIOUS COUGHERS

INSANITY DEFENDERS

FEAR  MONGERS
LONELY  ELDERS
JAILED  NON  OFFENDERS
MONEY   STEALERS

WATER  RUNNERS
ORGAN  HARVESTERS
WANDERING  SENIORS
ENERGY  GRABBERS
CARELESS  CAREGIVERS
SATAN  LOVERS
LURED  TEENAGERS
3-D   PRINTERS
BESTIAL  BATTERERS
PRIVACY  HACKERS
CHILDHOOD  RAPERS
BANKRUPTCY  REPEATERS
HOSPITAL  INFECTORS
FACE  LIFTERS
WAR  REPEATERS
INFORMATION  OVERLOADERS

PUNISHING  VICTIMIZERS
ECCENTRIC  ENDURERS
EBOLA  BODY  DISPOSERS
ARMEGEDDON  BELIEVERS
GRASPING  COMPETITORS
ENTEROVIRUS  CARRIERS
FLICKER  RATERS
HOPE  CRUSHERS
PEACE  REFUSERS
HYSTERICAL   GRABBERS
DOUBTING  DOWNERS
BRAIN  PICKERS
COMPUTER  HACKERS
APNEA  SNORERS
NOSE  PICKERS

 

DURING THIS WORK IN PROGRESS, LIVING ART/DYING ART, I WILL OFFER ANGELIC FEATHER FLUFFINGS WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD.

 

 

AFTER THE VIDEO AND DANCE:

 

FOR 42 YEARS I HAVE PERFORMED AND  TAUGHT HERE. THE SFAI IS TRULY ONE OF MY FAVORITE ART-HOMES.

I THANK TONY LABAT FOR FINDING ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND INVITING ME. ALWAYS THANKS TO SHARON, ALLAN AND PERFORMANCE STUDIES. THANKS TO ZENIA BARAKEH   FOR MAKING THE NUMEROUS DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS THAT IT TAKES TO INVITE SOMEONE TO COME TO THEIR ART-HOUSE.   THANK YOU KENT LONG FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN TECHNOLOGICALLY. THANKS TO THE HALLOWEENETTES. GRATITUDE TO DEAR FRIENDS MINNETTE LEHMANN AND ANNIE SPRINKLE WHO TOOK MANY OF THE PHOTOS  IN THE SECOND VIDEO. AND THANKS TO YOUR PRESIDENT, CHARLES DESMARAIS, FOR RE-ENVISIONING THIS GREAT INSTITUTE OF ART AND LIFE.

AND ALSO THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR FINDING A PARKING SPACE, LEAVING HOME EVENTHOUGH WENDY WILLIAMS WAS ASKING YOU FOR MORE  FACE TIME...GRATITUDE TO ALL OF US FOR CREATING A POP UP TRANSFORMING 2 HOUR COMMUNITY. FOR WHEN 2 OR 3 ARE GATHERED, GREAT THINGS ARE FELT AND HEALED.