'Self Portrait' confounds creation

By Farrah Madanay     2/7/12 6:00pm

Japanese Surrealist poet Shuzo Takiguchi once said, "I feel more appropriate to call the writing process itself ‘poetry' rather than the written texts." Baker College senior Kieran Lyons seems to share Takiguchi's philosophy when it comes to the process of drawing. On Feb. 2, Lyons, a visual and dramatic arts and cognitive sciences double major, engaged in a drawing performance, titled "Self Portrait," at the opening reception of his first Matchbox Gallery exhibition, on view until Feb. 23.

Lyons did not perform "Self Portrait" alone. His assistant for the night, Taylor Britt, also a Baker senior, was the hand through which Lyons vicariously drew. Lyons stood in front of the canvas but never once engaged directly with the drawing. Instead, Lyons executed his own portrait by examining his reflection in a square handheld mirror and instructing Britt, an economics and history double major, on how and what to draw.

Bored with his own distinct style, Lyons decided to produce a drawing composition that would not transmit his usual gestural language, he said. Thus came the methodology of Lyons' performance work.

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"‘Experiment' is the right word because I was more interested in what I could learn from it than in the process or product," Lyons said. Lyons particularly wanted to showcase the genre of drawing in "Self Portrait" because he believed performances of paintings about paintings were already common practice.

Though Lyons had to do little in terms of setting up the canvas and providing the charcoal for the Matchbox space, mentally he grappled with how he could instruct Britt in a way that would make the performance interesting for the audience.

"I worried about [the performance] a lot. Most of my time was spent trying to decide what kind of direction I was going to take," Lyons said. After considering experimenting with the ideas of ego, authority and persuasion, Lyons ultimately realized the addition of another person's inherent subjectivity would guarantee unexpected results. Lyons liked the idea of building a gap between his mind and Britt's so that regardless of how closely Britt followed Lyons' instructions, the final product would be a portrait filtered through two sets of observations, thoughts, and tastes.

Lyons' work demarcated the usually intuitive and connected processes of thought and execution, compelling audience members to question whether Britt or Lyons was responsible for the portrait's creation.

"It's like he's drawing through someone else's hand," Heather Olson, a Wiess College junior, said. Olson was one of eight onlookers that sat on the floor of the small gallery space. A semicircle of about 20 other audience members looked on from outside in the Sewall Hall Courtyard.

Britt, who said he doesn't consider himself an artist, took on the role of a semi-automaton as he followed Lyons' instructions.

"The experience of the exhibit impressed upon me the way that workmanship and intuition have to function together in a piece of art," Britt said.

Throughout the performance, Lyons and Britt engaged in constant discourse to synchronize their thoughts.

"Are these features more or less in the right positions?" Britt asked.

Lyons put his hand on his hip and studied his reflection in the mirror.

"Once you know exactly where something is, draw it firmly and keep it there," Lyons said.

Lyons expressed his appreciation not only for Britt's willing participation, but also for teaching him about the process of drawing and creation during the performance.

"It was artistically important that I took credit for this, but speaking personally he deserves more credit than I do," Lyons said. Lyons also said he hoped his audience was able to develop critical thought about the role of the artist and the drawing process.

Though Lyons enjoyed a large attendance at his opening reception, he said this was the exception, not the norm, mainly because his friends came out to support him.

"Student exhibitions slip by mostly unnoticed by other Rice students," Lyons said, lamenting the lack of on-campus exposure. Though Lyons said the Rice Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts is not known for having a high profile on campus, he hopes the promised new visual arts building will prove a step in the right direction.

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