Automatic Non-Interviews
An intro.
I have a thing for automatic art.
The (very rough, very general) idea is that you don’t think, at least not consciously, and you just let the drawing or writing happen, opening up access to the unconscious mind… “releasing the unbridled imagination of the subconscious.”
The Art World term is ‘Automatism’, which is a word taken from physiology to describe unconscious bodily movements, like breathing or sleepwalking.
Like Breathing.
Drawing as simply as breathing. Writing as simply as breathing. Creating as simply as breathing. It’s an easy idea to be enamored with.
Automatism was (ironically, very consciously) cemented into the process of making art by André Breton via the Surrealism around the 20’s. No less, in the form of a Manifesto (the most conscious expression of beliefs next to the Bible? But let’s put that aside; the world is full of contradictions… as is covered in the Dada manifesto that precedes it, but I digress.)
By moving quickly and spontaneously or introducing chance the idea is to bypass overthinking and connect with something deeply true.
It’s creativity that is specifically NOT guided by a moral lesson (like the ceiling of the Vatican) or societal influence (like instaaaa?). In general it’s a break from the concept of tradition. It allows you to be free and see what surfaces. It’s the practice of being a kid again, uninhibited by all the arbitrary constructs we’ve built around ourselves as the weirdo human beings we are.
The Non-Interview Setup
In Automatic Non-Interviews, I draw on a magic potion of chance, free association, and distraction to essentially play with the non-interviewee. There are two outputs: something verbal and something visual.
The verbal is roughly a series of questions and answers. I have a bunch of questions related loosely to ‘creative voice’ crumpled on pieces of paper in a bowl. I’ll pull as many as we want—the non-interviewee says when to stop. I ask the question out loud and the non-interviewee replies. Not necessarily an answer—an automatic reply. Just going with whatever feels natural.
As a distraction AND a separate but related output, the non-interviewee is drawing throughout the whole event, but not looking down. They can either introduce an additional element of chance by asking unrelated people to provide the substrate and drawing tool, or they can choose it themselves with tons of thought behind it. Also, they can put a barrier between the drawing and their eyes, or choose to leave it open. It’s all up to them -ish.
What will happen?!?
I have no idea what will come out of these interactions, and that’s the fun part. But I do have a hope that at least for one short moment in the week we get to stop trying so hard and are able to connect with something we can’t quite put a finger on.
