architecture, DISPATCHES art, music, architecture, fiLm, shopping, news and things to make and do… art, music, architecture, fiLm, shopping, news and things to make and do…
under the infLuence
Lizzi Bougatsos on Living in the present
portrait Leigh johnson
My interest is to celebrate the living. there are people i’ve admired for years who have laid gold through
their music, blood and sweat. the young ones carry the torch for our creative ancestors, who reside in
every breath. i’ve been touring with my band gang gang dance a lot in the past few years, witnessing the
brevity of time that bands have as they break up, reunite or evolve into other supergroups. as a singer
i watch new bands that are marketed, and to be honest, i don’t really relate to anything commercial.
i’m an old soul… misplaced in the present. i do believe in being modern. music does have its time and
place, as does art. here’s one way we can celebrate the now. i’ve noticed, when one interviews a musician,
why not talk about current work? interviewers always want to talk about what musicians were doing in 1979
with throbbing gristle or what it was like for patti smith to hang out with mapplethorpe. But what i find
more essential is the kind of questions that involve life experiences today and how these are transformed
into music and art: patti’s new art exhibitions in new York; she plays the Bowery often. what’s on her
mind now? how is her covers album? what was it like when she covered christina aguilera’s ‘Beautiful’
or now when she covers nirvana? i’ve met a lot of the artist/musicians who i’ve admired over my years:
Breyer p-orridge, david from pere ubu, jack Brewer of saccharine trust. i read jack’s poetry, i’ve
explored all Breyer’s latest art installations that navigate us into the future. most of all i’ve followed
the women that led the path for us. when i met david from pere ubu, he told me, ‘a singer that smokes
is a good sign.’ my conclusion is, let the modern dance! i can’t get inspiration unless i live in the
present. to harp on those who i haven’t met, well that would bury me in my own grave. here’s what martha
graham said: ‘many people have asked me if i have a favourite role, or if i am identified with a
particular role. to which i always answer that my favourite role is the one i am dancing now. You don’t
build on security. You risk. everything is a risk. You use every part of anything you remember as part
of the present, the now.’
Lizzi Bougatsos is an artist and the Lead singer of the Bands gang gang dance and i.u.d.
she Lives in new York. her forthcoming projects incLude a soLo show of her art at james
fuentes gaLLerY, new York. gang gang dance wiLL Be touring in europe in novemBer, in japan
in decemBer and in trinidad in march
ArTrEvIEw 42
Dispatches_Lizzi B.indd 42 28/9/07 15:15:04
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