image by permission of Nick Kilby
The 15th instalment of the Here’s Looking at You podcast is a frank conversation with body-based performance artist, Nick Kilby.
Nick’s work examines often very challenging, broader political and philosophical ideas, such as cults, blood sports and toxic masculinity and in particular, during this conversation, we discuss a recent piece of work that I was lucky enough to see at last summer’s Borderlines conference at De Montfort University. The piece was entitled ‘Buckle Up: The Filth.’ It was 11 hours long but I only witnessed the climatic final 20 minutes. It left me literally speechless and was a very powerful, visceral immersive performance made in response to the rape revenge and pulp narratives and the #MeToo moment.
https://archive.org/download/HeresLookingAtYouPodcast/nick%20kilby_mixdown.mp3<br />
Nick is a very complex and companionable personality. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and as always, I came away feeling like I’d been intellectually stretched. I suspect you’ll find the topics covered as compelling as I did.
To listen to Nick’s mesmeric 24 hour soundscape, which I heartily recommend as the soundtrack to help you drift to sleep, its called The Biggest Sleep: A Hardboiled Dream Transmission and its on YouTube, just follow this link
Nick’s next project is The Arias of Elizabeth Short. This is an ensemble action that utilises found and devised text, sound, video and food to speak to an alternative reality of the murder of Elizabeth Short (pictured above); whose body was discovered in the Leimert Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles in 1947. Her infamy as victim became cemented within the press by the moniker that was given to her friends, The Black Dahlia.
The purpose of the action is to question and dispel this fascination; giving Short an origin story rather than an ending. What if Short was a hero rather than a victim? What if her career aspirations as a Hollywood actress could be actualised? What if she became the saviour rather than the saved? Can the actual reality of society’s fascination with dead girls be turned into a fascination for living women?
Nick is grateful to work and collaborate with artists Sophie Swoffer and Cat Boettcher, mask maker Anais Lalange and chef Llewyn [pronounced Clue-En] McCobb as part of the creative and action process.
If you are interested in the annual Borderlines conferences, the next of which is on June 21st 2019, the Facebook page can be accessed here The theme is ‘Performing Through the Unknown’ and the call for papers closes on April 18th
This podcast can also be downloaded via iTunes, thanks to the technical wizardry of Phyll Smith
Music is by kind permission of The Shannon Reilly Trio. The song Trouble can be found, along with its video, via this link and purchased on the Shannon Reilly Trio album Trouble.
The podcast was produced thanks to the post-production expertise of John Ashbrook of Radio Pictures.
Here's looking at you. 