.
. . I HAVE SOME COOL-LOOKING NECKLACES AND A GRIFFIN PUPPET . . .
Anne
Wilson is not the only SoLow artist inviting audience members into her home for
a party (see Last Meals from Death Row),
but hers is the only show promising to faith heal attendees. Wilson has
experience putting on solo work, and At
the Gloaming with the Hipster Shaman, an all-night party capped by an
exorcism at dawn, promises a unique experience. She kindly agreed to answer
some burning questions about what audiences can expect from her solstice
celebration.
SoLow Fest: In what
ways are you a "hipster shaman"? Is this a serious or ironic
self-title, or something else?
Anne
Wilson: The title, and concept of the show has four main thoughts behind it:
1.
I am not a trained shaman. I've done some guided meditations. I am not a
priest. I am not certified by the Catholic Church to perform exorcisms. I have
some cool looking necklaces and a griffin puppet that are my ritual garb. I am
throwing together aesthetics from different religious and spiritual lineages
with zero regard for the rich traditions that they come from. I am reading
about rituals in books and online and throwing them together with my own
creativity to come up with a homemade ritual exorcism to be performed on
audience members who are also unfamiliar with these spiritual practices.
2.
I am trained performer. I have
studied for most of my life how to shift consciousness in myself the performer,
and in the audience as a witness to my consciousness shift. And those shifts
are very real. I am one of many artists who believe performance continues a
spiritual tradition from when we all lived on the savanna and performed for
each other at night around a fire.
3.
Many people who are trained shamans
and priests are utterly full of shit. Organized religion and spiritual
movements are built on a solid foundation of bullshit. And that bullshit is
being used to oppress people all around the world. In the US I primarily see
generic new age spirituality and evangelicalism used as a tool to part people
from their money without providing any service beyond what the placebo effect
can give. To me, this is more offensive than strapping a griffin puppet to your
head and calling yourself a shaman. I say this having studied Reiki and
Bodytalk, which are two systems that I have a complicated relationship with.
4.
Performance is also built on a foundation of bullshit. But performance, unlike
Bob Larson,
is cognizant of its own bullshit. And performance, unlike Bob Larson, isn't
claiming to heal anyone or solve anyone's problems. This makes performance more
valuable than perhaps any other spiritual practice.
I
didn't quite realize how interested I was in this intersection until the
no-pressure SoLow Festival came along and I noticed all these curiosities pop
up when I allowed myself to be silly or wild and less intellectual in imagining
a piece.
SF: What should people
know about At the Gloaming before
they go?
AW:
If they act like assholes they will be cast out of the ritual and the home as
quickly as a demon will be cast from the breast of a believer.
For tickets to At the Gloaming with the Hipster
Shaman, email anne.macg.wilson@gmail.com.
Julius Ferraro is a Philly freelancer. He writes regularly for Art Attack and his blog, Notes on Words.
The wonderful Julius Ferraro has been conducting interviews with some of our SoLow artists. We'll be featuring them here on the blog leading up to and through the Festival. Thank you Julius! And don't forget, you can view the entire lineup of artists in the full SoLow listings!