Kisses From Above The Ground, Frances Martinez, 2024
For this performance, I decided to do something endurance-based. I have this weird talent that I can stand on my head for a period of time. Apparently, as I got older, it stuck with me. Doing this on the beach was more challenging because of the sand. I decided to have my daughter in the video, giving me kisses while I was in this focused and balanced position. At any time I could have fallen over, but I have my child around me, which helped me stay in this position, because staying in this upside-down headstand, without falling, is keeping her safe.
Portraying balance as a single mom while my child is showing and giving me love is the message I wanted to perceive. Relatable to me in the article, Marina says, "I love routine. It gives the day order. I feel good when I follow a routine. If I don’t — when I’m traveling, and my schedule gets crazy — I become unbalanced. I love the regularity of a monastery: The monks wake up before sunrise, then they go to the toilet. Then they do the meditation. Then breakfast. Then they will do physical work. I try to follow a very similar schedule. I like to wake up early. It’s very funny to talk about going to the toilet — Western culture is ashamed of this, but I want to discuss this. Is that OK?" When Marina speaks about balance, no matter how one achieves it, it is important to find that within some kind of routine or structure.
Life has shown me to find balance within everything, and that can be difficult. I thought it was a beautiful moment in itself, being on the beach, a bird flying by, and my daughter running back and forth to show me affection. As a mom, I have learned that staying focused but being present is extremely important. "Abramović’s work often tests her own physical limits and the intentions of her audience: she has allowed the people around her to do whatever they want to her with 72 objects including a gun loaded with a single bullet (“Rhythm 0,” 1974); had her hair braided into Ulay’s, after which they sat conjoined for 16 hours (“Relation in Time,” 1977); lost consciousness while lying inside a burning five-point star (“Rhythm 5,” 1974); lived in a museum with only water for sustenance for 12 days, during which her single means of egress was a ladder made out of knives (“The House With the Ocean View,” 2002); stood in front of an arrow held by Ulay that pointed directly at her heart, which was amplified by a microphone (“Rest Energy,” 1980); and recreated the works of other great performance artists, including “Seedbed” (1972) by Vito Acconci, in which the artist lies hidden beneath a wooden ramp and masturbates (“Seven Easy Pieces,” 2005)." Marina Abramovic's performances of endurance and challenging herself inspired this performance. I was hesitant in doing something like this because it was a bit out of my comfort zone. The camera did not capture people staring and watching, but all of this was the concept of the message I was trying to portray. My daughter wearing pink was not planned, but that is her favorite color. She highlighted the peace, love, and comfort children have around the focus and worry that adults/parents can have.
I always aim to make people feel when creating art. When I get a certain idea, I will stay fixated on it, much like Marina. I'll start thinking of my concept in different ways and try to challenge my ideas to portray a specific message. "The first step is to get an idea. Not an easy idea but one that makes me go, “Oh my god. No, no, no, no.” An idea that gets stuck in my stomach. Then, I get obsessed and, finally, I say, “OK, I’m going to do it.” That moment of decision is very important. Then I do it. But a piece always starts with an idea that I don’t like — something I’m afraid of — and going into the unknown." I relate to Marina's concept of challenging the unknown because I do not always have an end result in my head when creating or making art, but I enjoy going with the concepts in my mind and developing it into something beautiful and emotional.
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