Dana Stevens of Slate nicely sums up what Joaquin Phoenix’s “public decompensation” (decomposition?) is all about:
There are multiple theories as to what Phoenix’s public decompensation is all about. (He announced in October that he was giving up acting for good to pursue a career as a musician and has since had one disastrous live show in which he rapped inaudibly and fell off the stage.) He could be spiraling down into alcohol or drug addiction—the actor has done a stint in rehab in the past. He could be mentally ill. Or the whole thing could be an elaborate hoax, staged with the help of his friend and brother-in-law Casey Affleck, who’s planning to direct a documentary that’s ostensibly about Phoenix’s transition from acting to rapping but will (according to theory No. 3) turn out to be the chronicle of an Andy Kaufman-style piece of performance art.
I hope it’s theory No. 3 because I do love me a good art project. There is something about that level of commitment to an idea. (This is also the theme of one of my favorite movies in recent years The Prestige.)
I also love the uneasiness that it creates in the audience. If he’s joking, then why am I not really laughing? If he’s not joking, then why do I find this all so funny?
Two years ago, I envisioned this website an art project. I decided against it because my mandate is to help people. (If I’m the fake headmaster of some kind of real/not-real Institute for Awesome Studies, then it’s about me not you.) Still, even thinking about DCWYTMBA in that way expanded my horizons.
Here is an exercise for you:
Ask yourself what your current project would look like if you erased the boundaries between art and artist and audience and turned it all into one crazy, big-ass THING. How might you go about the work differently? What kind of character or personae might you develop? How would that personae free you up? How would that personae limit you?
And then the most important question of all:
How far would you have to take your idea in order to transcend the ordinary?
Two Entirely Incidental Comments
by Maggie Sandford
#1 – I reeeeally enjoyed The Pretige! But no one seems to talk about it! Especially the…oh but I don’t want to spoil it.
#2 – In regards to taking things to an interesting extent: I would like state my own personal opinion that Joaquin is really not taking anything very far. In the context of mainstream culture, yes; what he’s doing is weird. But if it were me, personally, breaking away from my career to embark on a social experiment, I like to think I would take a few more chances beyond hiding behind dark glasses, saying nothing when confronted about the project, and feigning to lose consciousness. I just hope he’s got more up his sleeve, because so far, the story’s not very full. And if know anything about improv (and I know too much about improv), it’s: never negate. And Joaquin/aka “Leaf” does that every time he gets in public. Doesn’t he know that makes the story stop?
Oh but I’m negating him. Good story, girl.
It’s an odd thing to provoke such a response at the expense of your own career. The viewing public is forgiving on many levels, but in this case I doubt there is any genuine cause for worry. People will want more of this train wreck and if the only way to get it is through a reality show on MTV then the stunt worked. I suppose you could consider what he did on Letterman as an advance screening.
I’m trying, but can transcendence be planned for or is it more incidental?
@mapelba: I would say part of the definition of the art project is that nothing is incidental (or accidental).
The Letterman clip was literally painful to watch. I’ve never liked the malicious delight some people take in that kind of exchange. I hope the guy is ok, he’s extremely talented. Dave seems like a big tool basically.
As far as the “your life as an art project” theory, I guess I’m already there. There is no line between what I do and “me”. I see my writing and artwork as being directly tied to me as an author and sculptor. It’s all part of the package.
It’s not staged, nor is it filtered much.
Maybe I’m missing the point.
@pseudosu: I think you are missing the point. Being yourself and blending your art and your self does not an art project make. For it to be an art project it has to be staged and filtered and controlled.
Think of it this way: in the art project you never stop performing. You are in character the other time.
@dissenters: I think what Joaquin is doing is best art project out there. I only bring it up as an example of how there are other approaches. I also admire the commitment.