Living Buildings Act, 1979
7 performers, body suits, foot platforms, silkscreened cloth, metal hangers, pillow speakers
Monday through Friday- one consecutive hour each day,
starting at 1 o’clock on Monday and ending with 5 o’clock on Friday.
Living Buildings Act, was presented at the Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA., which houses federal governmental agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Weather Service; Information Offices of the Department of Defense; Department of Health, Education and Welfare; Department of Justice/F.B.I.; National Labor Relations board; Food Stamp Program; Voice of America; Veterans’ Administration/Service organizations; and the main Post Offices of West Los Angeles.
Twelve performers are dispersed at arm’s length distance in all directions outside the main doors of the Federal Building plaza under a 24’ high cement canopy ceiling. Each performer wears a black body suit with head covering and stands on curved platform shoes secured to their feet. Suspended from the outdoor plaza ceiling hang 24 cloth banners, each a 16’x 3’ length of sheer muslin fabric on which is silk-screened the ghostly night image of a tower of the New York City World Trade Center. The banners are hemmed at each performer’s shoulder height so that the performers’ outstretched arms fit into a sleeve in each banner. The banners act as sails and anchor the performers as they rock precariously on their unstable platforms. Each performer maintains silence and synchronizes their breathing as they negotiate their movements to maintain balance.
Employees and the public wishing to use the Federal Building doors must choose how to negotiate walking through the performers on entering and leaving the Federal Building.