JOHN STURGEON
Beet Surgery & Pole-Camera
©1984-87
Performances with Video and Fairlight computer
The Beet Surgery section utilized: a live steamed beet, an over the shoulder live-camera, accompanying pre-recorded torso figure tape, with synthesized audio track, computer graphics and poetry, surgical instruments, lab coat, 4 to 6 monitors (sometimes with video projector). Sturgeon performed a poetic text in chorus with his voice on the pre-recorded tape.
The Pole-Camera section of movement/dance work featured a 6-foot pole that had 2 light weight b&w or color cameras mounted on either end (facing in towards each other) with their outputs fed into a switcher with cycling wipes at 2 second intervals. The live pole-camera images were inter-relating with monitor &/or video projected images of similar swooping movement recorded on the edge of the Grand Canyon. A character generator scrolled text and a performance of his poetry accompanied from off stage.
Both "beet surgery" & “pole camera” performance sections later became central elements in Sturgeon’s video: Inside Out ©1990.
Both Beet Surgery & Pole Camera were originally included in FRAGMENTS a collaborative video/computer graphic performance John Sturgeon & Aysha Quinn. As an hour-long variable collection of inter-related performance vignettes, tape sketches, monologues and interactive live computer graphic imagery, Fragments was developed in performances over a 3-year period. Featured in this description are only Sturgeon's solo performance sections or elements of the piece in which he had significant creative involvement
beet surgery
pole camera
