David Askevold

Learning About Cars and Chocolates

"The performer is framed within the open window facing the camera one story above the street below. When a car, van or truck passes below, he asks, 'what color is that car?' An off-camera voice, Jack Wendler, the gallery owner, describes the vehicle while the performer bites into a chocolate and describes its characteristics until another one comes along. This continues until all of the chocolates are gone." - David Askevold

Rubber Band

"Holding a rubber band between my thumbs and forefingers, I strum it as fast as I can close to the microphone. The camera is static and runs until the S8 cartridge runs out. The sound is recorded on tape separate from the film, so the audio which sounds like a drum, slowly moves out of synch with the image." - David Askevold

Fork Pairs

"I strike the first pair of tuning forks on the edge of a table, raise and point them close to the microphone for their audible duration. they are placed in the middle of the frame in back of the mic. and the second pair is picked up repeating the same action. After the fourth pair has completed its duration, the sequence is repeated but this time they are placed outside the fame on each side. There is a third repetition where the forks remain, placed in the middle in back of the microphone. A simple scale progression is completed. The sound is recorded on audio tape separate from the film, so the sound and image gradually move apart. After the last pair is struck and positioned, the image goes blank and the sound continues for the amount of time difference between the image and audio." - David Askevold

Catapult

"A disk of wax soaked with lighter fluid is placed on one end of the balanced plywood. I run toward and Jump on the other end, catapulting the wax over my head in hopes of striking a strip of toilet paper, lighting and burning it. (the strips of toilet paper are strung in rows across the parking lot) The performance / film ends when all of the strips have caught fire." - David Askevold

Knife Throw

"The static camera is placed in a room lit by an overhead controlled lighting system. Two flashlights are strapped to my ankles and the other to one wrist. I begin throwing the tree knives at 20 feet away from the panel and move toward the panel at 2 foot intervals, throwing the set of knives to 10 feet from the surface and then move back to the 20 ft. mark. The lights in the room are dimmed a specific amount at each interval until the room is totally dark revealing only light specks given by the flashlights reflecting off the broken surface of the panel. The soundtrack consists of the knives striking the surface and sometimes bouncing to the floor; a woman's voice is heard speaking: 'stick, bounce, stick, stick, bounce' etc., as each knife is thrown." - David Askevold