Still Life with Cabbage

The Quad, University of Brighton
Friday, 15th July 2011, 19:50 - 20:05

WHITE MARKET collaborated with LOST PARADE for two performances as part of the Soundwaves Festival 2011.

A couple of piles of cabbages, one red and the other white, lie close to a square patch of lawn. In the centre of the lawn a group of microphones is set up.

Five well-dressed females in costumes or suits and high heals arrive to pick up cabbages and distribute them evenly over the lawn as in a peculiar kind of bowling game. When the two piles have been distributed the performers position themselves around the edge of the lawn, take off their shoes and begin to climb onto the closest cabbages carefully avoiding touching the grass.

Awkwardly balancing, rolling and posing on the cabbages they move towards the centre of the lawn. When a performer falls off her cabbages and touches the lawn she stands up and pauses briefly before beginning again.

When the first performer reaches the centre with the microphones she positions herself on a set of cabbages, picks up a cabbage close to her and begins to peel the outer leaves. After the silence of the first part this creates a soundtrack of gentle cracking and ripping noises. As more performers arrive and peel cabbages the volume and amplitude of the sounds increases. The game turns into a competition as to who first peels the whole of the cabbage and bits of leaves fly across the spaces. Suddenly and simultaneously two performers raise an arm with a mere stump of cabbage core each in their hands, both having finished at exactly the same time. This brings all other performers to a halt.

Photos: Conall Gleeson