LiVING, My LIFE AScPtic AFFECT an interview with David Rayfield -ARNI HARALDSSON: | was going to begin first of all by asking you to explain what you are doing, and tell us about the objects you have in here, like the typewriter, the telephone, alarm clock, etc. And what do they signify, if they signify anything? DAVID RAYFIELD: it is interesting you would ask the most pressing question, right now, for me. | had a fairly clear idea originally that | wanted to deal with maroon patterns and optical illusion by nature of the fabric they signify. And somehow | tied in my background to that which deals with style and im- age, and as aresult through experiences | have had over a 3 year period | came to the realization that | do tend to live life as a performance to an extent. A.H.: In every day life? D.R.: Yeah, | mean this is something that is not uni- que to me. In my experiences in life, | tend to per- form certain rituals which are designed to make the sailing fairly smooth. You know, accommodating one another. But on top of that we have our images and | certainly have evoived through images which speak of how | am feeling at the time. A.H.: Last night when | was here around 8:30, | walked by, you weren't in here, but | noticed a mask; | don’t know if it’s the same one you are wearing now. It was lying outside this space here at the edge of that red line there. Did that signify anything, or why was that mask there when you weren't in here? : D.R.: There are two things happening there. | think it would be dangerous to say that there is a threat significance between the mask lying on the floor by a line which signifies a birth process. The mask | placed on the floor because | thought it made a very convincing detachment image. What was the rest of the question? A.H.: O.K., so that tape you put there because of an event. What was that event? D.R.: Well the event that | was in a cocoon of the same material, and basically it was a process. A tension process of creating a confront between the object, which | created, and myself as another ob- ject. And so in a contrived fashion, | stylized it as a birth. The red line signifies the red line of the birth cycle, which is contrived of various myths, stories, etc. A.H.: Getting back to some of the objects in here, | presume they are here then just for practical reasons; like the typewriter is here perhaps, if you want to write something, the telephone is here/by the way is that telephone actually hooked up? D.R.: Well it works for.me. A.H.: It works for you, in other words it’s an optic affect? D.R.: No. | mean this is becoming. more of an audio optic presentation as time goes on. Naturally, because | have things to say, and the telephone has become an image for me, and as a result, when ap- propriate, | make phone calls to my agent and various other people, whom | have invented. A.H.: | see. Last night when | walked by, again when you weren't here, | noticed you had placed 2 sticks, 2 or 3 feet high, in each corner outside the space. Was that to signify or indicate anything. D.R.: | am wondering whether you are attempting to find a deep meaning in the arrangement in the structure and around the structure. In all cases, if everything has a significance, for me, it has to be the moment. | had some sticks around and | put them around in various configurations, deciding to deal with certain aesthetics and motifs. So the Sticks, | thought, well looked kind of nice, If | may use that cliche. It also gave me something to do. A.H.: O.K., that was what | was trying to get at, whether what you are doing is, if | may say so, a preconceived performance. But | realize now that, more than anything, it is just intuitive what you are doing here. Whatever comes into your mind at the time, more or less. D.R.: Very much so. | avoided scripting this anywhere beyond, you know, the obvious images | am dealing with. Certainly | have a set, a stage, through which | portray various objects, situations, images and so on. | tend to work intuitively to begin with, | am far more involved with the process than the finished product. A.H.: About doing this, if | may call it performance, here in this supposed gallery space. It seems to me that what you are doing here is going to be seen mostly by other art students and people passing in and out of the school. Have you thought about do- ing it somewhere else where you might get.a dif- ferent response. Art students might be overly critical, or they might say, I’ve seen this sort of thing before, and they might look at yu for 5 minutes, or so at the most. How about doing it somewher else? D.R.: First of all to answer the idea of people look- ing at me for 5 minutes or so; the piece is not con- tingent on having peopie look at me in terms of a performance. | am aware that there is a con- sciousness of this piece, which is permeating the school, and consequently, while people may walk by ignoring it, by virtue of their having to ignore it, they are aware that it is there. Consequently, the con- front happens no matter what, it doesn’t particularly \ matter to me whether it’s art students, or, shall | say laypeople, looking at this piece. They are going to have the same response to it whether they are in the arts or not. | think the trap is we tend to ut up an art piece and expect that an artist is going to relate to it differently than a person who is not in- volved in art. | have plans to tour with this show when | graduate, | would like to go back to Toronto first of all. I'll set up various alternative spaces throughout the United States and Canada. | would like to do Toronto, Montreal, New York, San Fran- cisco. | have-an offer to do Eugene, Oregon. (laughs) A.H.: So would you be doing something of the same thing as this? D.R.: Similar, this is very much a pilot project. | mean there was another conception of t at one time during the summer. A.H.: | did something similar to this last summer downtown just for one day. Saturday afternoon. | had frames built like this but without any mesh. | had a window on a nylon string, so that from a distance, it looked like it was just sitting in mid-air, and a table and chair. | got the most enjoyment out of it, by doing it downtown, where it is a surprise for people to see it. Some would be very reluctant to aproach it and others were very thrilled and excited about it. For me it was.a great learning experience by doing it outside the school. | am not so sure if | would have felt comfortable doing it in here. So | was wondering what kind of responses have you been getting? D.R.: | am almost tempted to turn the question around and ask you why you would be less comfor- table doing it in art school. Instead I'll take it back on me. The fact that | got the agreement to put this piece up here is something, like you know/ A.H.: How about doing it here as opposed to say, Lougheed Mall or wherever? D.R.: Well this is a safer situation, | mean than Lougheed Mall. | could have people coming up to me and putting cigarette burns in me, and | am flammable you know. It’s more a question, that while | am here, | am vulnerable to the point that | am on display. The piece is open to people coming into the actual enclosure laying whatever they want on me, | am open to that. It’s more a question that | find the art school environment very convivial..This is almost like being in a hospital, | have all these visitors bringing me coffee, animal crackers, etc. That might happen in Lougheed Mall and at the same time, | think it would be very worthwhile. It would be a different reality. | had worries at first, | wondered what would happen at night when it was: less structured in terms of classes, whether or not | would have yah-hoos coming in and bothering me. My feeling is if anything comes up I'll handle it. A.H.: Is that why you wear the mask, so that you don’t become too vulnerable to us looking at you wondering what it is that you are doing in here? D.R.: You beast! We are being raided. (Students begin to throw paper airplanes into the enclosure.) Agh, Agh, Help! Help! We are being interviewed, you know. A.H.: | was asking you about the mask. | feel com- fortable talking to you now, whethr you had the mask on or not. But people coming in from outside the school that don’t know you, have you thought about the different responses that you are giving them? é D.R.: That’s a good question, in terms of response. With regard to this piece it’s more a matter of responsibility, | certainly affect people. | come from the point of view that 1 do not cause people to feel anything, and certainly the mask as such is not meant to shield my vulnerability, if anything it is meant to keep me from adding to the piece in terms of my facial expression. | tend to have a very animate face, so there is a definite connection bet- ween the static mask and the activity happening on it. A.H.: To end this interview then, are you in 3rd e year, or 4th year? D.R.: | am in 4th year. A.H.: In the interdisciplinary program? D.R.: | do video and interdisciplinary. | also am in- volved with dance, to some extent movement, and performance outside of here. A.H.: So is this piece a co-operative effort, or a Class project, or is it strictly your own? D.R.: Well | conceived of the piece and made it what it is. | had some technical assistance putting it up. As far as | am concerned this piece is the school’s, insofar as everyone who comes by it is, well should we say subject to it. For example, dur- ing the paper airplane attack the people are making the piece their own. : A.H.: Who funded this, if | may ask? D.R.: Originally | was going to fund it entirely out of my own pocket, however, if anything | have found from doing this piece; that | have developed ‘the ability to get outside funding. The inter-disciplinary department funded about % of it. Student Society funded % of it, which | am very thankful for, as well | funded about ¥% of it, well actually more, because | am also investing money in this piece, insofar as | am missing about 3 working hours in doing it. It costs me about 40 dollars a night to stay in this hotel. A.H. So what was the total sum, if you don’t mind me asking? : D.R.: | never mind talking about money. | would say this piece has cost, remembering meals and everything, well over 300 dollars. A.H.: Wow, OK thanks a lot. Interview took place in Concourse Gallery on Thursday, November 27th. David Burgess Livine My LE A8 cPTIC AFFECT an interview with David Rayfield [ARNI HARALDSSON: | was going to begin fst of all by asking you to explain what you are doing, and tellus about the objects you have in here, like the ‘pewter, the telephone, alarm cock, ete. And what do they signi, If they signity anything? DAVID RAYFIELD: It is interesting you would ask the most pressing question, right now, for me. 1 had a fairy clear idea orginally that { wanted to deal with maroon patterns and optical iltusion by nature ‘ofthe fabri they signity. And somehow | tied in my background to that which deals with syle and im ‘age, and as aresul through experiences | have had, ‘over a 3 year period I came to the realization that | 0 tend to ve life as a performance to an extent ‘AH In every day fe? AR: Yeah, I mean this is something that not uni ‘que to me. In my experiences i if, | tend 1 per- {form certain rituals which are designed to make the ‘saling fairly smooth. You know, accommedating ‘one another. But on top ofthat we have our images ‘and | certainly have evolved through images which ‘Speak of how | am feeing atthe time ‘ALH: Last right when | was here around 8:20, 1 waked by, you weren't in ere, but noticed a ‘ask; | don't know if its the same one you are wearing now. It was lying outside this space here at the edge ofthat redline there. Did that sioniy anything, or why was that mask there when you weren't in here? DLR: There are two things happening there. think would be dangerous to say that there isa threat significance between the mask lying on the floor by line which signifies a birth process. The mask | ‘laced on the floor because | thought it made a ‘ery convincing detachment image. What was the ‘est of the question? ‘AH OX. so that tape you put there because of an ‘event, What was that event? DR: Woll the event that! was in a'cocoon of the ‘same material and basicaly it was a process. A tension process of creating a confront between the ‘object, which I created, and myself as another ob- ject. And so ina contrived fashion, | syized it as a Dit, The red line signifies the re ine ofthe birth ‘ele, whichis contrived of various myths, stories, ‘ALK: Getting back to some of the objects in here, | ‘resume they ae here then just for practical ‘reasons; ike the typewriter is here perhaps, if you want 0 write something, the telephone is hereby the way is that telephone actually hooked up? DLR: Wol it works for me. ‘A.Hs It works for you. n other words it's an optic atiect? .R: No. | mean this ls becoming more of an audio ‘optic presentation as tie goes on. Naturally, ‘because | have things to say and the telephone has ‘become an image fr me, ad as a result, when ap- propriate, | make phone cals to my agent and various other people, whom I have invented. ‘AH | see. Last right when | walked by, again ‘when you weren't here, | noticed you Nad placed 2 Sticks, 2 03 feet high in each corner outside the ‘pace. Was that to signily or indiate anything. DR: | am wondering whether you ae attempting to tind deep mearing in the arrangement in the structure and around the structure. in al cases, i ‘everyting has a significance, for me, ithas to be ‘the moment. | had some sticks around and | pu ‘them around in various configurations, dicing to eal wih certain aesthetics and moti. So the ‘leks, | thought, wel looked kind of rice, If! may se that cliche. it also gave me something to do. ‘HE OX. that was what | was trying to gota ‘whether what you are doing i, if may say so, a preconceved performance. Bu | realize now that, ‘more than anything, it is just intuitive what you a doing here. Whatever comes into your mind at the time, more o ess. DAR: Very much so. | avoided scripting this ‘arubere beyond, you know, the obvious images | ‘am dealing wih. Certainly Ihave a set, a stage, through which | portray various ebjecs, situations, images and so on. | tend to work intuitively to begin ‘with, Iam fat more involved withthe process than the finished product. ‘A.M About doing this, | may cal it performance, herein his supposed gallery space. It seems to me that what you are doing here is going to be seen ‘mostly by ther art students and people passing in land out of the school. Have you thought about do- Ing it somewhere else where you might gota at. ferent response, At students might be overly ‘rica, or they might say, I've seen this sort of thing before, and they might lok at yu for 5 minutes, oF $0 at the most. How about doing it somewher ole? D.R: First of all to answer the idea of people look ing at me for 5 minutes or so; the piece isnot con- tingent on having peopl look at me in termes of a performance. | am aware that there is a con. ‘sciousness ofthis piece, which is permeating the ‘school, and consequent, while people may walk by ‘gnoting i, by vitue of thei having fo ignore it, they are aware that itis there. Consequently, the con: tront happens no matter wha, it doesnt particularly ‘matter to me whether it's art Students, or, shal | '2y laypeopl, looking at this piece. They are going tohave the same response to it whether they are in the arts oF ot. hin the trap is we tend tout up ‘nar piece and expect that an artists. going 10, folate tot atferenty than a person who i no in volved in art. 1 have plans to tour with his show when F graduate, | would tke to 90 back to Toronto first ofall. setup various alternative spaces {throughout the United States and Canada. | would like todo Toronto, Monreal, New York, San Fran sco. Ihave an offer to do Eugone, Oregon. (aug) ‘A.H So would you be doing something of the same thing as this? D.R: Similar, this is very much a pilot project. 1 ‘mean there was ancther conception oft al one time uring the summer. ‘ALH: | did something similar to this last summer ‘downtown just for one day. Saturday afternoon | hha Trames bul ike this but without any mesh. hhad a window on anyon string, so that trom a distance, i looked ike it was just siting in midair, {nd a table and chair. | got the most enjoyment out ‘oft, by doing it downtown, where it isa surprise for ‘people to $08 it. Some would be very reluctant to ‘proach it and others were very thiled and excited ‘about it. For me it was a great learning experience by doing it outside the school. | am not so sue it ‘would have felt comfortable doing it in here, S01 ‘was wondering what kind of responses have you been geting? D.R: | am almost tempted to turn the question ‘around and ask you wy you would be less comfor- table doing it in art school. instead 11 ake it back ‘on me. The fact that | got the agreement to pu this, lece up here is something, Ike you know ‘ALH: How about doing it here as opposed to say, Lougheed Mall or wherever? D.R: Well this is a safer situation, {mean than, Lougheed Mall | could have people coming up to ‘me and puting cigarette burns in me, and | am flammable you know. I's more a question, that wie am here, ! am vulnerable tothe pont that 1 ‘am on display. The place is open to people coming into the actual enclosure laying whatever they want ‘on me, Iam open to that. I's more @ question that fin the at school environment vory convivial. Ths is almost lke being in a hospital | have all these visitors bringing me coffee, animal crackers, etc That might happenin Lougheed Mall and atthe same time, | think i would be very worthwhile. I ‘would be a diferent realty. | had woris at fist, 1 ‘wondered what would happen at night when it was: less structured in terms of classes, whether or not | ‘would have yal-oos coming in and bothering me. My feeting isi anything comes up I handle it ‘ALH= Is that why you wear the mask, so that you ont become too wuinerable to Us looking at You ‘wondering what iti that you are doing in here? AR: You beast! We are being raided. (Students ‘begin to throw paper siplanes into the enclosure) 'Agh, Agh, Help! Help! We are being interviewed, you know. ‘AH. | was asking you about the mask, | fe! com: fortabe taking to you now, whethr you had the ‘mask on or not. But people coming in from outside the school that don't know you, have you thought about the diferent responses that you are giving ther? DR: That's a good question, in terms of response. ‘With regard to this piece i's more a mater of responsibil, | certainly affect people. | come from ‘the pont of view that | do not cause people to feel ‘anything, and certainly the mask as such is not ‘meant fo shield my vulnerability, it anything itis ‘meant to keep me from adding tothe piece interme ‘of my facial expression. tend to have a very animate face, so there isa detinte connection bet ween the static mask and the actvly happening on a ‘AH To end this interview then, are youn 3rd g year, or th year? DAR: | am in 4h year ‘AH In the interaiscipinary program? DAR: | do video and intordsciplinar. | also am in- volved with dance, to some extent movement, and performance outside of here. ‘AH: S0 is tis piece a co-operative etfor, or a las project, ori it stritly your own? .R.: Wel | conceived of the pioce and made t what iti. had some technical assistance puting it 1p. As far as lam concerned this pace f the ‘choos, insofar as everyone who comes by itis well should we say subject to it. For example, dut- Ing the paper airplane attack the peope are making the place their own, ‘AH Who funded this, if may ask? D.R- Originally 1 was going to fund it entiely out of ‘my own pocket, However, anything | have found {tom doing this piece that | have developed the ably to get outside funding. The interdiscplinary