Sunday NIGHTtime May 21st PART D

photo: Naufus in MARIACHI HISTRIONICS

Part D: My Reading

Naufus's performances are action-based
endurance art often employing
altered consciousness aquired by
effort-work and no sleep. His work addresses
class, race, gender, power by examining and
working with his personal history.

At first, each of Naufus's actions
in his performance seemed chosen
in direct opposition to his estranged father.
Naufus -- young, gay & overweight
sings slightly off-key.
His dad -- older, macho & moustached
is a professional Mariachi musician.

Watching Naufus perform with his lexicon
of white eggs, white milk, & white condoms,
I feel him actively navigating
the Race ! Gender! Power! choices
both he and his father have made
and have had made for them.
They appear opposite and yet Naufus's aktions begin to blur
and bend creating options for the dialectic.
The vibrant orange cowboy boots look like high-heels.
He gathers the eggs falling out of his jockey shorts
and his knees come together a la Marilyn.
He morphs into a slightly transgendered
both pretty and handsome
and he becomes the sexy man/woman.
His second song, literally fuelled
by hot chile peppers, reclaims passion and tears
from the corny Mariachi repretoire.
There is a return to home but not as the prodigal son.
More a son becoming a tolerant and open one.

The performance was shorter than I had expected.
I would have gladly and happily seen this performance
at three or four times the length.

Love,
La Dragu