The Third Movement, 2003

Barefoot and dressed in a deep blue military medical uniform, I stand at a stainless steel table. On the table are two square steel containers. The container on the left holds coal dust. The container on the right holds water and a bar of Lava soap. While reading the text aloud, I simultaneously coat my hands in the coal and then cleanse my hands in the soap and water. The coating and cleansing goes back and forth throughout the reading. The first thirteen lines are read with gauze in my mouth. The gauze is taken out at line fourteen to reveal the language of the piece. Ambient bass feedback is played at low volume in the provided space. This piece was performed in 2003 at the University of Nevada, Reno.