All I Do Is Improvise.

Photo by Asia Mieleszko

In this series of posts, we will be having different collective members sharing their perspectives on art, performance, collaboration, improvisation, and creative practice. Kicking us off is one of our fearless leaders and perpetual good vibes machine, Dan Townsend!

Please shed light on where your art is rooted and how improvisation relates to your artistic process. How does your creative process shift when collaborating with others?

All I do is improvise. To me, both art and the mundane are created through a series of guesses based upon previous experiences. Charles Mingus said, “you can’t improvise on nothing… you’ve gotta improvise on something,” and I believe he’s correct. However, the fact that we bring our artistic history with us into each situation implies that we are always improvising upon our past to propel us into the future through the decisions made in the present. This view suggests that compositions are simply artifacts left in improvisation’s wake. Whether we rejoice in that improvisation and celebrate individuality or achieve it mindlessly speaks volumes as to the state of our current experience. 

My art is rooted in an insatiable and rewarding urge to be myself and revel in my individuality. Furthermore, I feel that my artistic growth is inextricably linked to novel experiences. The attention to my creative expression waxes and wanes with life’s immediate demands, but the desire to create something and be somebody is pervasive and informs everything I do. I intend to honor the fact that nobody else does what I do, in the way that I do it.

Making art with others is a great way for me to shake the Etch-a-Sketch and help foster more grit regarding difficult situations or experiences. Rather than use pain or hardship as a crutch for personal artistic creation, I believe that my innate longing to break out of my perceived habits and patterns stems from a desire to branch into an imaginative practice that I had yet to recognize. There can be so much joy in overcoming obstacles and embracing an increasingly complex and robust life. It has been my experience that working with other artists, especially within a different art medium, is a great way to find and share this joy.

Photo by Asia Mieleszko

These unique experiences are precisely what Vice Versa intends to curate through a performative setting. Celebrating raw improvisation and championing unique compositional practices eschews traditional habits. It also breaks the mold of traditional performance practices. Each performance is uniquely constructed by the artists who are on the bill. As an event producer with Vice Versa, I attempt to dream up what could possibly go awry as well as what kind of beautiful synergy these specific artists can create. No amount of thought on the difficulties of event production can completely prepare for the event itself, but even just attempting to wrap my head around it places me within the event and fills me with sweet anticipation. 

As we continue to produce events and gather a community of diverse artists, I intend to share that thrill with others. Dreaming big about your own art is already great but dreaming even bigger with a community of capable and dedicated artists is truly powerful. During our event in NYC this past May, I remember so vividly the brainstorming session we had. The buzzing energy or creative minds flaring up, with "yes, and" flying effortlessly from our lips. In that moment I already knew our performance would be fantastic. What's more, I found that the reality of showcasing that show's work was even more rewarding than I could have imagined. I’m so excited to continue to expand this network, create with multi-faceted artists, and share this journey with any who wish to partake.

Until the next, 

Dan

photo by Fran Wycloff