text, video, voiceover and editing by honor ash
typefaces: Avara Black, Avara Bold, Avara Bold Italic by Velvetyne

citations:
Invisible Committee, To Our Friends, trans. Robert Hurley (South Pasadena: Semiotext(e), 2015), 127.
Andy Robinson, Thinking From The Outside: Avoiding Recuperation (Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed #64, Fall-Winter 2007).
Hakim Bey, T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism (Autonomedia, 1985).
carla bergman and Nick Montgomery, Joyful Militancy (AK Press, 2017).

originally installed as part of 'embodiment now' at LOFT @ croydon arts store, projected onto a flowing piece of chiffon

the plank is a loose group of experimental improvisers, artists and sometimes dancers, who meet regularly in norwich. the plank is facilitated by eastern ear (formerly the norfolk and norwich sound art collective), who also put together the annual festival of experimental sound art and music yarmonics, in great yarmouth.

tap shoes, clock chimes, fork, ping pong ball and serrated drumstick: honor ash
tape loop, clock chimes, electronics, bowls (singing/domestic): charlotte arculus
floor tom, clock chimes, cymbal, bowls (domestic): gem

the work consists of a tattoo which reads wentworn ov feelist erd reptrount ov wentworn fassiendic synepseu in my own hand. the tattoo was applied on the day of the performance, kept under wraps until the start of the exhibition's private view. during the performance the tattoo was methodically and carefully cleaned to demonstrate to those watching the legitimacy and gravity of the words' application. at the same time, a camera fed a live feed to a CRT monitor on a mezzanine overlooking the performance which would greet visitors ahead of a close up look at the tattoo. this video is that feed. over the camera feed, i was reciting an imperfect interpretation of the words themselves, raising further question about whether or not anyone actually knew the context or meaning of the words which were now permanently inscribed on my body.

in case it wasn't obvious, the words themselves are nonsense with no semantic content. the work confronts the expected gravity and sincerity of language placed in such a serious context, utilising the signifiers around tattooing, permanence and the framing of a serious artistic piece to imply heavily a deeper meaning, yet none is there to be uncovered - no matter how hard a viewer tries.

the performance is ongoing and can be viewed from wherever i just was

more: https://hnr.fyi/wentworn.html

THIS IS A PUBLIC WORK is a statement on accessibility - physical visitors to the gallery exhibition had no better view of what was happening than anyone joining from home - and the quality of the webcam recording remains the only persisting record of this performance. following the performance, the large piece on the wall was painted over to allow other works to be created, and most other elements were also repurposed in other works, some by myself and some by other artists in the studios.