A transformer designed to utilize the slight, wasted energies such as:
the excess of pressure on an electric switch
the exhalation of tobacco smoke
the growth of a head of hair, of other body hair and of the nails
the fall of urine or excrement
movements of fear, astonishment, boredom, anger
laughter
dropping of tears
demonstrative gestures of hand, feet, nervous ticks
forbidding glances
falling over with surprise
stretching, yawning, sneezing
ordinary spitting and of blood
vomiting
ejaculation
unruly hair, cowlicks
the sound of nose-blowing, snoring
fainting
whistling, singing
sighs, etc [...]
I heard about Duchamp's Notes on the Infra- Slim in a lecture we had earlier on this year, since then my mind keeps reminding me of this list. I'm interested in it not as a means of passing from the second to the third dimension, but as a list of movements we can never completely control. I highlighted the ones related to breath and air coming in and out of our bodies and thought of a few more:
gasps
burps
cough
hiccups
Johnstone, S (Ed.). (2008) The Everyday: Documents of Contemporary Art. Whitechapel Ventures Limited, London.
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