This piece explored awkwardness through the experience of a first date. The date element was presented with a small table and two chairs facing each other, close to the audience as this will be an attempt to entice someone to sit down for a “date.” Extending this first date awkwardness, the experience will begin to dive into other intricacies of social interaction in the space of linguistic insecurity. Linguistic insecurity is a form of social anxiety brought on when a social situation calls for the use of a less confident language, which causes feelings of anxiety begin to flood the body causing the brain to panic and forget most verbal expression. Linguist insecurity will be presented with the use of vocabulary cards in multiple languages, focusing on the three languages that I speak (English, French, and Irish). Each vocabulary card will be a word within a common dating question i.e. “What do you do for work?”, “What are you into?” etc… The cards will be scattered on the floor where I must frantically attempt to form a coherent “date” question. This word hunt will allow me to embody and express this common anxiety felt by many language learners that ultimately leads to a strong level of social and linguistic isolation, which in the end compounds the linguistic insecurity even further and the dating scenario intensifies this anxiety by upping the stakes.
These elements seek to explore the embodiment of this anxiety that I have myself and add it to an experience that many hate, dread and find extremely awkward, including myself. I curious to see how this project affects people and how awkward it makes them feel to engage with me while others watch as I am trying to express myself to a potential mate from the other side of an anxiety ridden linguistic wall.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
Josh Clendenin performs “Folamh” at Visualeyez 2017. Photo by Adam Waldron-Blain.
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