street performance
"12th NIPAF 2005"; Shinjuku; Tokyo, Japan. 2005
This piece takes place in the shopping district of Shinjuku, in the summertime.
I ride my bicycle into the street bustling with shoppers. Unloading my bike basket, I toss on the ground bags of salt. I pour bag after bag of salt on the ground, creating a slowly expanding circle of snowy white. When all the bags are emptied, I gingerly lie down on the 2-meter wide circle, and sweep my arms and legs open closed open closed.
The silhouette of a stylized angel (with wings and a flared skirt) is formed in the salt. I get back on my bike and ride away into the crowd, leaving behind a snow (salt) angel upon the hot tarmac.
In Japan, salt connotes spiritual purity (as do angels in the West), and is used widely in Shinto practices.
photos by: Nomoto Shouhei and Angie Seah