Melissa Schenter
AAD 550
Art World Description
Introduction & Frameworks
The field guide I create will illustrate street performance, or “busking,” as an Art World. I am interested in the ways in which performance- specifically audience and performer interactions- can transform urban spaces into meaningful places. I’m curious to learn about performers’ perceptions of the value of sharing their art with strangers, and wish to highlight examples of spontaneous, non-formal, performances. Going into this topic, I have a number of questions, including:
-What types of urban environments are more conducive to engaged street performances?
-How do street performances interrupt the daily lives of people in public places?
-What are the most prevalent tropes used in street performance?
-What types of performance are most common amongst buskers?
I plan to use a combination of performance theory, concepts of liminality, anthropological writings on “place” and “space,” and Creative Placemaking as a lense through which to conduct my own research for this field guide. In general, I will also be looking at studies done on the presence of art in public places, and any ethnographic works covering street performance.
History & Literature
In beginning my research, I’m in awe of the deeply rooted history that street performance has in human society. However, because of this, it is seemingly difficult to trace its origins. According to Cohen and Greenwood’s book, “The Buskers: A History of Street Entertainment,” it appears that the earliest known street performers date back to the Roman Empire, and occurred as a part of agricultural festivals. They go on to note that, near the time of Caesar’s rise to power (around 48 BC), there was a trend in street performance in the form of poetic and musical satire to challenge those in power. They continue along the timeline, highlighting the important role that Church minstrels played in the fifth and sixth centuries AD, noting that “(w)andering minstrels were not only entertainers and newscasters; they also spread ideas, different ideas from those traditionally disseminated from the pulpit.” (Cohen & Greenwood, 1981. p. 24).
As far as reading up on the origins of street performance, I’ve only scratched the surface. I certainly have my work cut out for me. In reading articles analyzing the current state of busking in society, there are a couple trends that have been touched on. Simpson outlines the issues of finding histories of musical street performance, saying: “Much of the existing written history of street music takes the form of letters written by those complaining about the nuisance street music posed for them, and in the records of the debates that took place in the development of street music legislation.” (Simpson, 2015. p. 2).
Issues of legislation in use of public spaces was not something I’d considered before I began my reading. I plan to incorporate this issue into my research framework, exploring each locations specific legislation, as well as ask street performers how this effects their art.
Methods
For the street performance that I research in Eugene and Portland, I plan to use participant observation, interviews, conduct internet research, sketch images and maps, and record audio clips.
To include street performers outside of Eugene and Portland, I will reach out via social media or email, and invite them to participate in my collection of data in any capacity they feel comfortable with. For instance, this may involve asking them to provide:
-Video footage, audio clips, or photos of their street performance experience
-Letters or blog entries
-Annotated maps from places they’ve performed
I believe strongly in using collaborative methods in conducting research on any given community. I prefer for voices from people within the Art World I’m studying to help in defining it.
With this particular Art World, it would be incomplete if I didn’t also include audience voices and reactions in my findings.
Geographically speaking, I plan to look at street performance in Eugene and Portland (assuming that my transportation permits it). However, I am also experimenting with reaching out to other street performers in different states and countries, to provide a more global and complete illustration of busking as an Art World. By doing so, I hope to create a backdrop for the research I do in Eugene and Portland. I expect that street performance in Eugene looks quite different from that of other, larger cities. It will benefit the viewers of my field guide to get a sense of what street dynamics are like more generally in each of the locations I gather data from, so that it is evident how busking fits into the context of each city.
Media Outlets
I plan to use a website as the base of my field guide, and on top of that, communicate my findings through the following mediums:
-Field notes (or written journal) of my observations & experiences
-Field sketches of my observations & experiences
—These images will then be utilized to create a mini graphic companion (both physical, and digitally scanned)
-An audio library- MP3 files of street performers and soundscapes
-Youtube videos to help capture all the examples of busking, such as:
-Transcribed interviews with street performers, in a blog-like format
-Maps with annotations included by artists, highlighting their busking experiences in different geographic locations
-A gallery of photos taken by myself, as well as buskers in the field
-Links to performers’ professional websites, and other resources such as “The Busking Project”: https://busk.co/
Foreseen Challenges
Street performance occurs spontaneously, and are often times difficult to predict or track. The work I do in observing the street performers in Eugene and Portland will be skewed by my own availability and capabilities of finding them. I’ve begun searching for instances of street performance, and have realized that being at the right place at the right time will be a large factor in creating this field guide. In order to combat this, however, I will attempt to ask Eugene and Portland locals for tips on where to seek out buskers. If I am not able to find enough in-person examples, I will draw upon more sources outside of Oregon, and utilize my pre-existing networks within
The biggest challenge I face with this Art World is its breadth. My goal will be to create clear definitions and analyses of street performance, collecting a variety of different experiences and examples, recognizing their differences and various contexts, yet ultimately highlight the commonalities across each of them.
Conclusion
I’m ecstatic to continue my research and exploration of street performance as an Art World. Though it may be dauntingly vast, I look forward to reading all of the rich content on performance in public spaces, and to gather real stories from audiences and performers alike.
Bibliography
Cohen, D., and Greenwood, B. (1981). The Buskers: A History of Street Entertainment. David & Charles Inc.
Simpson, P. (2011). Street Performance and the City: Public Space, Sociality, and Intervening in the Everyday. Space and Culture, 14(4) 415-430.
Simpson, P. (2015). The History of Street Performance :’Music by Handle’ and the Silencing of Street Musicians in the Metropolis. City of London Festival lecture.
Bywater, M. (2007). Performing Spaces: Street Music and Public Territory. Cambridge University Press, twentieth-century music 3/1, 97-120.